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A LITTLE JOURNEY 

TO 

MEXICO 



FOR INTERMEDIATE AND UPPER 
GRADES 



By 

MARIAN M. GEORGE 



CHICAGO 
A. FLANAGAN COMPANY 






Copyright, 1901 

By a. fIvAnagan company 




A Little Journey to 
Mexico 



To travelers just returned from a country where 
the climate is mild our March weather seems a bit 
disagreeable. 

Why not take this time, then, for a little journey to 
Aztec Land? — a land with a history more fascinating 
and wonderful than any fairy tale or romance you 
ever read. 

There we shall find June days the year round, and 
snow-covered mountains to use as toboggan slides 
when we wish a change. We may make our rooms 
lovely and fragrant with roses and violets gathered 
from gardens in December, pluck oranges and bananas 
from trees and eat strawberries every day in the year. 

In no country in the world should we be able to 
find a more interesting, picturesque people, more beau- 
tiful scenery or more novel experiences. 

Then, too, there is no long ocean voyage, with pos- 
sible sea-sickness, to be dreaded. A three days' ride 
in a Pullman car will take us to this country, for it is 
our next-door neighbor and sister republic — Mexico. 

Why is it called Aztec Land? Ah, that is a long 
story, and one I shall not try to tell here. If I should, 
you would quickly forget it. If I do not, you will 



4 A LITTI.K JOl K\in K) MKXICO 

scurry away to the lil)ran' just as soon as you can and 
find out for yourselves. And tliat is exactly what I 
waiil you to do. 

Youi- teachci- will id! you what hooks to «z:et, for 
there is a list «ri\(ii in the teachers' edition of the 
Little Journeys for ihal very purpose. And these 
histories and stories of Mexico will tell you exactly 
what you wish 1o know. 

Hut 1 will «!:ive you just a tiny scrap of history and 
geography with which to start. 

A SCRAP OF HISTORY 

Mexico is sometimes known as Sj)anish North Amer- 
ica, because the country formerly belonged to Spain. 
The Spaniards, led by Cortez, came across the Atlantic. 
conquered the native Indians, and dixidcd the land 
among themselves. 

Mexico was ruled by the Spaniards for three hun- 
dred years, l)ut threw off the Spanish yoke in 183(3 
and declared its independence. 

Since that time the country has had two emperors, 
Iturbide and Maximilian. But the reign of each was 
short. The country was in a constant state of revo- 
lution, and one civil war was followed by another until 
the election of President Porfirio Diaz in 1877. 

He brought law and order to the country, has served 
it wisely and well for twenty years, and is its honored 
j)resident today. To him more than to any other man 
connected with the history of .Mexico are due the peace 
and j)rosperity of the nation. 

Mexico has a population of about 14. 000.000. Prob- 
aljlv one-half of these are half-castes, or the descendants 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO. 




PRESIDENT DIAZ. 



G A ]. rn IK .101 KiNtY 10 MEXJt'O 

of Spanish fathers and Indian iiinihcrs; one-thiixl are 
puic Indian, and the reniaindiT are of Spanish descent 
antl fuivi<2;ners. Spanish is ilie lanfj;uag;e of the ma- 
jority of the people. 

And !io\v you wish to know iiow and when to go to 
Mexico, and what j)repai-at ions to make. These are 
((uestions wiiieh your map and your own knowledge 
of Mexico must help \'ou to decide. 

Let us turn. then, lo the map given in the Little 
.lourney and see what it tells us. 

HOW TO QO 

We must first decide upon our route and make our 
preparations. There are many ways of reaching Mex- 
ico, but there is always a best way. See if you can find it . 

There is one railway which runs from the Rio firande 
at KI Paso to the City of Mexico, the capital. It 
passes through fifteen of the twenty-seven states of 
the republic, reaches e\('ry cily of thirty-five thou- 
sand or over but five, and a dozen important cities 
touched by no other line. 

The princij)al mining regions receive their supplies 
and export thcii' products o\er it; the most fertile 
agricultural districts are tapped by it, and the most 
important manufacturing centers are located on it. 
Every variety of cliniat(^ and soil exists along its lines. 

Can you t(>ll me the name of this road? 

There aic other gateways to Mexico, of course. We 
might go by way of San Antonio, Texas, or by steamer 
to Tampico or \'era Cruz, but as our j)arty starts from 
Chicago we shall probably find it more convenient to 
go by way of the Atchi.son, TopeRa and Santa Vo i-oad to 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXK'O 7 

El Paso and take the Mexican Central to the capital, 
Mexico City. 

A few days' ride from Chicago will take us to the 
City of Mexico, and a month will enable us to see a 
great deal of this wonderful coimtry of which we have 
heard so much and know so little. 

WHEN TO GO 

Is there any reason why we should not go to Mexico 
in March? Let us see; consult your maps. Mexico 
lies between the tropics and the equator, and it would 
seem to be a very warm country. 

But this is not the case. Can you tell why? Have 
you considered the altitude? If you will look very 
carefully at different points on your map you will no- 
tice figures giving the altitude in various parts of the 
country. The figures show that most of the cities 
have a high altitude, and this accounts for the cool 
climate at these points. The high tablelands and 
snow-covered mountains also temper the rays of the 
tropic sun in the lowlands. 

In the tropics, where the days are hottest, the nights 
are usually cool. There is little difference in temper- 
ature between winter and summer, which in those 
regions are respectively termed the "dr}" season" and 
the ''wet season." 

Most tourists visit Mexico during the winter months 
of January and February, but the country is more at- 
tractive during the summer or rainy season. This is 
between Mory and October. 

At this time of the year it rains almost every day, 
but the showers alwavs come in the afternoon or even- 



8 A LITTLE .lOrRXKY TO MEXICO 

iiig and arc (juickly ()\'(M-. 'Hie only places we should 
need to avoid in this season aic I lie cities very near 
the seacoast and ihosc in low altitudes, ^'cll()\v fever 
carries olT its \ictiins daily at \'cra Cruz, and causes 
that city to he much dreaded and ireneially ax'oided hy 
travelers in summer. 

But we are to make our liip in Mai'ch, and as 
Mexico alTords e\-er\' \ariety of wealliei' we shall need 
l)oth thick and thin clothing — overx'oats for the cold 
evenings and ulsters for the dry, dusty plains. ()ui- 
rain-coats and umbrellas ina\' safely ])e left at home at 
this season of the year. 

WHERE TO GO 

\\'here in .\h'\ico shall we go? In one month we 
cannot \'isit every j)art of the repuhlic. Certain points 
and representative cities must be selected, whicli will 
give an idea of the country as a whole. 

Here again the map should be consulted. I'^rom 
that we can trace out something of tlu^ geographical 
features of the land. This will help to determine where 
we wish to go. 

Mexico seems to be about one-lift h as large as tho 
I'nited States. It consists of twenty-seven states and 
the territory of Lower California. 

In the nortluMMi states of Mexico we may see the 
cactus country and herds of cattle on dry plains. If 
we wish to visit the mines, we shall find them in the 
centei' of Mexico. The maguay j)lantation may best be 
seen about the City of Mexico, and along the (lulf is the 
troj)ical r'cgion. with its coffee. tob;u'co. orange and 
banana plantations. 



A I>TTT1>K .lOURNRY TO AIEXTCO 



Suppose, then, tlmt wo visit the more iinportaiit 
cities on the line of the Mexican Central Railway, be- 
tween El Paso and Mexico City, msiking the latter 
place our headquarters. 

Short trips and excursions on other lines may bo 
made from that point. 

IN AZTEC LAND 

Southward bound at last! A three days' journey 
brings us to the Rio Grande, which forms the southern 
boundary of the United States. 

Crossing the border to the Mexican town of Ciudad 
Juarez, we make a stop of an hour to have our bag- 
gage examined by the Mexican customs officials. 

Our first glimpse of Mexico is disappointing. We 
pass through a dry, barren region devoid of any kind of 

vegetation except the sago 
brush, cactus and a little 
coarse grass. 

Now and then, in some 
particularly desolate, dusty 
spot, is a small Indian vil- 
lage. It consists of a dozen 
or a hundred low, flat- 
roofed adobe houses, and a 
church which towers high 
above the humble buildings 
clustering around it. 

A group of men lounge 
against the sides of the build- 
ings or range themselves a- 
GiANT CACTI loug tho track and look with 




10 



A LITTLE JOrRXEY TO MEXICO 



curious eyes al llic train whizziiij^ by. Scantily clad, 
wrctcluMl l()()kin«r Indian womon are cooking over 
canij) fires outside tliese huts, or carrying!; water from 
the ditches near by. 

But we l)arely jjet a ^hnipse before tiie train speeds on 
and a new j)iclure presents itself. The mountains 



^_i 




ADOBK HITS 



come into view, and soon we are wailed in by two 
ranges which lend a new interest to the landscape. 

Now we are passing near an inunense plantation or 
hacienda, as it is known in Mexico. These plantations 
are owned by very wealthy men. wiio emj)loy on them 
hundreds of workmen. 

The buildings belonging to the hacienda are clustered 
together and are often enclosed within walls or a kind 
of stockade. 

The haciendas are divided into farms and ranches. 
Part of the land is devoted to the raising of grain and 
the rest serves as pasture for imm3nse herds of cattle, 
sheep and goats. 

The latter are cared for by cowboys, who spend their 
davs in ridin"; about the lanches. If the ranch is not 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 11 

enclosed by a fence, the cowboy must watch the cattle 
to see that they do not stray awa}^ If the ranch is 
enclosed, he has to ride along the line of the fence very 
often, to see "that it is kept in repair. 

Sometimes we see the owners of these haciendas 
riding over their estates and giving orders to their 
men. Their riding costumes are gorgeous, and in the 
sash or belt a knife and revolver are sure to be fastened. 

The railroad does not pass through the cities and 
towns. These are always a mile or so away from the 
stations. But from this distance we catch glimpses of 
stately cathedrals and bright-tinted, flat-roofed build- 
ings which make us wish to see more of the towns. 

The Mexican Indians gather at the stations in great 
numbers at train time^ and it is here that we have our 
first opportunity to study their dress and personal ap- 
pearance. They look something like our American In- 
dians, having black eyes and hair, and copper-colored 
complexions. But they are only of medium height and 
are rather stout. 

The men wear coarse white cotton suits reaching to 
the knees or a little below. The legs and feet are 
bare. Most of the Indians wear sandals. This simple 
substitute for a shoe consists of a sole the size of th3 
foot, with leather thongs for fastenings. 

The overcoat is little worn in Mexico. The serapz 
takes its place. This article of clothing, worn by men 
of all classes, is a woolen blanket, often highly colored. 
Red is most popular, but almost every color is worn. 
Sometimes the serape is striped and sometimes fig- 
ured, sometimes fine and sometimes coarse. That 
used for riding has an opening made in the center and 



12 



A Li'i'ii.i; .l(»^K\l:^ lo mkxico 




Mi:XI(A>: INDIANS 



it is slipped over the liead and allowed lo fall over the 
body. At other times it is wrapped about the body or 
folded and thrown over the shoulders. 

The most important part of a man's costume, how- 
ever, is his hat, or soinhrero. He hoards his earnings 
until he secures a fine hat, and then he is content. 
Xo matter how poor he is, how ragged or hungry, his 
headgear must be handsome. And these hats often 
cost a small fortune, or what means a small fortune to 
the Mexican. The best ones cost from twenty-live to 
considerably over a huiKhcd dollars. 

Sombreros are made of felt or straw, and are sugar- 
loaf shaped, with l^rims from six inches to a foot wide. 
Some of them have brims eml)roidered with gold or 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MKXICO Ki 

silver thread, and thick, lieavy gold and silver cords 
about the crown. 

The women wear simple dresses of cotton that leave 
their arms and feet bare. They wear no hats or shoes. 
Out of doors the head and shoulders are covered with 
a narrow blue or brown shawl called a rebosa. This 




A iMKXKAX OP THE Hr:TTi:R CLASS 



rebosa also serves as a carry-all for babies or bundles, 
and as a blanket at night. 

The children at the station look half starved, and 
are usually dirty and ragged. They come under the 
car windows and to the platform, and plead in soft, 
plaintive voices for centavos, and they rarely go away 
empty-handed. 

Their parents and numerous relatives crowd around 
the train and offer jugs of pulque, the Mexican beer, 
for sale. There are others with baskets of oranges, 
bananas and queer-looking fruits the names of which 



14 A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 

we tlu not know. Platters of eggs, jars of beans, 
eooked chicken, bread, cakes, tortillas, and glasses of 
ice are thrust into the windows to tempt us. The 
more nimble of these vendei-s dart fii*st to one and 
then to the oilier side of the train, and manage to effect 
a number of sales. 

Occasionally a man of the better class of Mexicans 
appears at the station on horseback, or takes a place in 
the cars. He wears a tight-fitting suit of dark cloth, 
embroidered with gold or silver })raid and trimmed 
with gold ()i- silxcr buttons. 

These men are, most of them, of Spanish descent, 
and are the wealthy owners of haciendas or plantations. 
Sometimes they are accomj)anied by their wives and 
daughters, who dress just as the ladies of the States do. 

The firot city of importance is Chihuahua, a famous 
market for hoi-ses and cattle; but it is not a typical 
Mexican town, so we decide not to visit it. 

Jk'low the station of Gutierrey we cross the Tropic of 
Cancer and enter the Torrid Zone. 

The line between the two zones is marked 1)\' a j^yr- 
amid. The country all about here is rich in minerals. 
All the towns through which we pass are or have been 
mining towns. Here and there by the roadside the 
tall chimneys of smelters loom up. Do ^ou know 
\\hat a smelter is? 

ZACATECAS 

Zacatecas is to be our first stopping place. It is 
said that there is no other city in Mexico which affords 
so many splendid views. Then, too. Zacatecas is one 
of the greatest mining towns in the world, and a stop 



A LITTLK .JOURNEY TO MEXICO 15 

here will give us a good opportunity to study silver 
mining. 

About nine miles from the city the train begins to 
climb upward, in zig-zag lines and curves, until we 
reach a hilltop 8,000 feet above the level of the sea. 

The city lies in an immense gulch between two 
mountains and very little of it can be seen from the 
station. 

Zacatecas is the capital of the State of Zacatecas, 
and the center of the richest mining region in Mex- 
ico. It has a population of about 75,000. The 
country all about is honeycombed with mines, and 
these and the tall chimneys of smelters indicate the 
occupation of a great part of the inhabitants. 

The city seems to be built on a huge silver platform, 
for since the discovery of these mines more than a 
billion dollars' worth of silver has been taken from 
them. 

There are no level streets in Zacatecas; they are all 
up and down hill. They are narrow and badly paved, 
and the odors that arise from them testify to the fact 
that they are not well drained. 

The houses that border the streets are low and fiat- 
roofed. The walls are covered with plaster tinted a 
bright red, blue, yellow, or pink, and look decidedly 
odd to us. These dwellings have no windows looking 
upon the street; there is nothing to be seen from out- 
side but the blank walls. 

Zacatecas has its plaza and cathedral, as have all 
Mexican towns, these two places usually being the most 
attractive features of a city. 

We take seats in the gravity car at the station and 



1<> A LI II 1.1, .lot liXK'* 1(» .MKXKO 

just drop lo tlic market plaza, the force of <iravity 
takintj the place of liorscs. In ihc (('iilciof \\w plaza 
is a stone fountain. XatiNc women crowd about it, fill- 
ing huge jars and walking off lightly with them upon 
their heads or shouhlers. Other women seated on 
the ground offer us figs, hananas. pineapples and 
oranges for sale. 

The faces of these won\en are \'eiy sad. Most of 
them are ugly and untidy, and their clothin2: is little 
better than rags, for they are pitifull\ poor. And 
yet this country is literally paved with precious ore. 

The common people live in miserable nuid huts and 
sleep upon the ground, while silver is carried away from 
their tloors to su})ply almost half the world. 

Not far away tower the smoking chinmeys of the 
i-efining works where the Indian men work, and just 
befcti'e dark these men come trudging into town, 
carrying the precious metal to a ])lace of safety. In 
the streets of the city and on country roads trains of 
donkeys bearing bags of silver patiently plod along. 

Zacatecas is very (piaint and full of surprises for us. 
Among its novel sights is the tradesman plying his 
trade in the open air. The shoemaker will make a 
pair of shoes for a customer while he waits. To be 
sure, this shoe is a very simple affair — only a leather 
sandal — but it is cool, and comfortable to the w^ary 
foot of the peon. The tailor and the l)arber and the 
potter also give us an opportunity to watch their work. 

The cathedral towers above the city, and attracts 
instant attention. Both the interior and exterior of 
this Ijuilding are interesting. It was formerly very 
rich in ornaments, but these have been confiscaied by 



A LITTT.K JOURNEY TO MEXICO 17 

the government. The churches were thougiit to hiive 
too much wealth. 

On a ridge overlooking the city is another famous 
church or chapel, which was built more than a cen- 
tury and a half ago. It was at one time a favorite 
place of pilgrimage for offenders. They did penance 
]:>y climbing, and sometimes on their knees, to the 
chapel. 

There are a number of vast old churches, convents 
now used as hotels, fine public buildings, palaces and 
bridges. There is a fire department, though it does 
not seem as though there could be any need of one, the 
buildings are so massively built and so little wood is 
used. 

The city is full of aqueducts, yet suffers for want of 
water. The water which comes through the aque- 
ducts is distributed by water carriers who make a 
regular business of this service. 

These water venders are picturesque objects, with 
their large red earthen jars suspended from straps 
encircling their foreheads — one in front and one be- 
hind, to balance each other. Some of the men wear 
leather jackets and have their heads covered with 
peaked leather caps. 

The lack of water is the cause of considerable suf- 
fering among the people of this place, for to its scarcity 
are due the unclean condition of the streets and the 
offensive odors; there is much sickness in the city and 
the death rate is very high. 

Water is scarce in most Mexican cities, and it may be 
due to this fact that the majority of the peons have an 
unwashed appearance. They cannot afford to buy 



18 



A i.rrri.i; .i()rHxi:v to .Mexico 



of liic \v;it(M- caiTici- and iiiiisi dcpi'iul onlirely for their 
water suj)ply upon the (htches, streams, or pubhc 
fountains. 

The fountains are usually crowded with women car- 
ryin'j; water jup:s, patiently waitinii^ their turn. Donk- 
eys laden with water jars jog along the country roads, 




WATER CARRIERS 



and in the mines and mining districts Intuans carry 
water in pigskins on their hacks. 

When we expi-ess a desii'e to \-isit the mines and are 
told of the \va\- in which we should be obliged to reach 
them, we are discouraged. The descent is made by 
ladders which are merely notched logs s?t upright. 
It seems to us an extremely difficult feat, yet the In- 



A LITTLIO .l()ri{\l'n TO MKXICO 19 

(iiaii miners clinil) up and down these rude ladders very 
nimbly, sometimes carrying loads that weigh almost 
two hundred pounds. 

So we content ourselves with a visit to the reduc- 
tion works, where the ore is crushed and the valuable 
part separated from the less valuable or worthless. 

The men who work in the mines and the reduction 
works are anything but attractive looking. They wear 
almost no clothing, and in some of the mines none at 
all, because of the intense heat. They get from thirty 
to fifty cents a day, and yet they never go on strike. 
They seem to be quite content, but they will not save 
anything for the future. 

The managers find it necessary to watch them very 
closely and search them when they quit work to make 
sure that they do not steal any of the silver. The 
miners are very clever at this, however, and often 
manage to evade these watchful eyes. 

AQUAS CALIENTES 

From Zacatecas we journey on toward Aguas Ca- 
lientes, through hills and plains, into a rich agricultural 
region. All about Aguas Calient es lie vineyards, 
meadows, and fertile, well cultivated fields which yield 
corn and beans to supply much of the country. 

"Aguas Calientes" means ''hot waters," and it is 
from its famous hot springs that the city received its 
name. The baths are said to be excellent for rheu- 
matism and other diseases, and this, together with the 
healthful climate and beaut}^ of the place, has made 
it popular as a health resort. Aguas Calientes is also 
noted for its drawnwork, and as this can be bought 



20 A i.rri'LK .lorHNKv to Mexico 

more (.'heaply there tliaii elsewhere in Mexieo, we are 
prepared to invest some sil\-er. l^-ei-y huly who 
comes to Mexico wishes to take one or more of these 
l)eautiful j^ieces of hnen to friends at liomo — a fact 
of wliieh the peons are' well aware. 

Long l^efore the train is due Indian men and women 
throng ihe station, canying bundles of hnen. When 
the train arrives they rush to the windows and plat- 
forms, and thrust })ieces of the fancywork into the 
hands of the passengers. 

Doilies, napkins, table covers, dresser and sideboard 
scarfs, and the daintiest linen and lawn handkerchiefs 
are spread before our admiring eyes. This drawnwork 
represents days of patient labor on the part of these 
Indian women, and many eyes are ruined by the close 
application it requires. This work is done in their 
own cal)ins and at the schools. Walking past these 
humble houses we often se(» through the ojxmi tloors 
the picture shown you on the opposite page. 

Man>' of the houses ha\-e no glass in ilie windows, 
but have the openings barred with iron, as do the 
houses of Cuhix. Beside these windows bird cages 
liang, and iheir feathered prisoners make the air ring 
with their clear, sw^et notes. 

Aguas Calientes is a beautiful little city of 40,000 
inhabitants. The people in the ))lace seem to have 
a special fondness for flowers, wliieh floui'ish every- 
where. 

The garden of San Marcos, a |)ublic s(|iiare, is a per- 
fect wilderness of flowering j)lants. slu-ul)s and trees. 
Here the oleanders grow to the height of trees, and 
orange l)lossoms fill the air with their fragrance. Pan- 



A LTTTLF. JOURNEY TO MEXICO 



21 



sies, sweet peas, poppies, roses and lilies fairly crowd 
each other in this and many other gardens of the city. 

A large number of the houses are of adobe and only 
one story high, but their bright coloring inside and 
out and their neat surroundings make the place at- 
tractive. 

The prospect of a hot bath after our long, dusty ride 
is very pleasant, so we ride out to the springs, a couple 




INDIAN WOMEN AT WORK 



of miles from the city. The roadway is bordered by 
a small canal, or walled ditch, which is supplied with 
water from the springs. Along this canal men, women 



9> 



A LITTLE JOURXEY TO MEXICO 




A CORNER IN Till; MARKKT 



and children may be seen washing their clothes and 
])athino; at all hours of the day. 

Sunday is the principal market day hero, and the 
people for miles around flock into the city, bringuig 
loads of fruit, vegetables, grain, pottery and other 
articles for sale. 

The produce is arranged on straw mats on the 
ground, in booths, or on long benches. One corner 
will be devoted to flowers and birds in cages, another 
to crockery oi- baskets, still another to cotton goods, 
which are displayed on a string over a table; then there 
is a space filled with candies, and another with fruits, 
or perhaps with onions and tomatoes. 



A LITTLE JOUKNKY TO MEXICO 23 

The marketplace occupies a whole square or block, 
and in and about this the poor Mexican women and 
men sit or stand patiently for hours, hoping to make a 
few sales. Sometimes the entire stock of a market- 
women is worth but a few pennies, and sometimes 
she sells nothing. One wonders how these people hve. 

Oranges are offered us for a penny apiece, and a 
penny will buy us a glass of the popular drink, pulque. 

Little copper-colored children play about and de- 
vour pieces of sugar-cane; gaily dressed girls patronize 
the candy booths, and their plainer, less fortunate 
sisters flit about in blue and brown rebosas. 

Ice-cream venders wander about the streets with 
their trays of cooling wares, and beggars greet us 
at every corner. 

The people tell us that it is a great pity we did not 
come in April, for it is at this time that the feast of 
San Marcos occurs. This is a celebrated fair, and 
thousands of people from all over the country attend 
it. The feast is something like our Thanksgiving 
and everyone eats turkey. Many curious costumes, 
and customs may then be seen. 

GUANAJUATO 

Southward bound once more, and this time to the 
most picturesque city in America, Guanajuato. Artists 
love to linger in this quaint, old-fashioned city, but 
they can never picture its charm. 

To reach this place we must leave the main line and 
take the street cars. The road now winds around 
among the hills, past some of the greatest silver mines 
in the world, and many reduction works. The high- 



24 A Li'iTiJ-: .lont.NKV vo .Mexico 

way is crowded with a busy throng, and with long 
hnes of l)uri"()s hid(Mi wiih jjfccious metal. 

The city stands in a ravine l^etween high cliffs, as 
do most mining towns: the honses are built on the 
edges of terraces or the cliffs wherever there is room. 
The buildings look as though they were sliding down 
hill, or just ready to tumble into the valley below. 

The people reach these hillside homes by climbing 
from terrace to terrace, up a white stairway leading 
from the great ravine. These are the better class of 
houses, and are built of a kind of sandstone, of various 
colors. 

In Guanajuato many of the houses are four stories 
in height and are made extremely attractive by their 
roof gardens, and balconies covered with flowering 
vines. Some of the most beautiful homes of all Mexico 
are to be seen perched on these cliffs. Artificial lakes, 
ornamental trees and shrubs, plants and vine-cov- 
ered walls make attractive the tiny level spaces on the 
hillsides. 

In the lower part of the town the more humble 
houses are crowded together. The streets are nar- 
row, crooked, and steep, and badly paved with cob- 
ble stones. A carriage is a difficult thing to drive 
in this place, and it is best to use burros in going about. 

Guanajuato is what you might call a "smelly" 
place. There is no system of sewerage, and a great 
numlier of deaths occur each year. Hut water car- 
riers are not needed, for the city is supplied with water 
through ]^ipes, as are our cities and towns. 

The place l)oasts many fine j)ul)lic l)uildings, among 
which is a magnificent theater built of green stone. 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 



25 



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krB^h l^B^^B^flBGn^Bi^l^^^Plf^l 


B^BMHSi 


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-, ■ 'i-'.vyc . I 


J .11 .hi 




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;/■ .'wi^: 






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mmiM 



GUANAJUATO 



This is said to be finer than any structure of its kind 
in New York. The churches, also, are well worth a 
visit. One of the most expensive of these had to have 
a space blasted for it in the hillside. 

But these things do not interest us so much as the 
mint and the public pantheon, the city cemetery. 

The mint is said to turn out more money than any 
other in Mexico, and is one of the largest and finest in 
the country. Money is coined here in the same way 
as in the mints of the United States. 

A visit to the pantheon is interesting indeed. There 



26 A l.riTLK .lorHNKV TO MEXICO 

are few ^ra\('s licrc. The bodies are for the most 
deposited in \aiilis huili licr ii})oii tier in the thick 
of the pantheon. A certiiiu rent is charged for space 
each; a corpse is allowed to remain five years, and 
then is taken out, if the rent is not renewed. If the 
body has l)ecome a mumni}', it is placed upright against 
one of the arched corridors of the catacombs beneath 
the cemetery, with rows of other mummies. If only 
bones remain, they are thrown in a heap upon the 
floor of the tomb. 

Guanajuato has been a famous mining center for 
three hundred years. Wonderful stories are told of 
the wealth which has been taken from these hills, and 
the fortunate people who found it. The very streets 
were paved with silver bricks for squares, for the christ- 
ening procession of the children of these silver kings. 
Solid silver altar-railings, weighing tons, were presented 
to the churches. 

And the pit}^ of it is that the people who worked the 
hardest to secure all this wealth got so little of it. 
Twelve hours each day the miners spend in these 
mines — six in working, and the other six in going 
down into the mines and returning. 

The ascent and descent into these dark tunnels are 
attended by great danger. One false step may mean 
death. Yet the miners are glad to have this work. 
The pay is pitifully small, but they must have food. 

This food, we find, consists largely of boiled pump- 
kin, and cornmeal gruel. On Sunday meat is perhaps 
added, and such meat! — the dried lieads of cattle, 
sheep and goats! 

The silver mills have been built as strong as forts. 



A LITTLE .TOTTRNEY TO I\IE\TfO 27 

in order to resist the attack of })an(ls of robbers who 
are, or at least have been, ready at all times to de- 
scend upon these treasuries. These bandits are dis- 
appearing now, however, or have mended their ways. 

Sometimes we see a body of rurales riding across the 
countr}^ These men are the country policemen and 
soldiers who assist in keeping the Indians in subjection 
and protect the lives and property of peaceful citizens 
and travelers. They are a fine looking body of men, 
and are said to be the best horsemen in the world. 
They are armed to the teeth, and well mounted. Their 
uniforms are of leather or of light gray woolen cloth, 
and their belts or sashes of some bright color, usually 
red. 

An unusual interest attaches to the rurales from 
the fact that there is not another military company 
of men in the world with a history which resembles 
theirs. For you must know that most of them were 
formerly robbers and outlaws who preyed upon the 
traveling public and the wealthy citizens! 

President Diaz is a very shrewd man. He had faith 
in the old saying that "It takes a thief to catch a 
thief." So he invited the leaders of these powerful 
gangs of bandits together, and held council with them. 
He asked them how much they made a month as out- 
laws. They told him. He then asked them if they 
would not prefer to earn their bread honestly in the 
service of the government, by serving as soldiers and 
police. 

He offered them wages higher than they were in 
the habit of receiving, if they would abandon their 
former practices and become useful, loyal citizens. 



28 A l.ITTLK .lOURXEY TO MEXICO 

All ihoso who acfeplt'd were to be pardoned for past 
offenses. Those who returned to their old oceupation 
were to be shot at sio:ht, without trial. 

Many of the outlaws accepted tlie offer, and most 
of those who refused to do so have been killed or driven 
from the cotmti-y. 

■■ Irnpuatol'" llic coiuluctor calls, and when the train 
comes to a standstill at this station, we all go out to 
buy strawberries. Great baskets and little baskets 
are offered to us at prices ranging from ten cents up. 
Every day in the year strawberries are offered here 
for sale, and the famous strawberty farms about the 
place supply the markets of a great many Mexican 
towns. 

A short li dc brings us to Queretaro, the Opal City, 
one of the most attractive places in the republic, and 
full of interest to those wdio are acquainted witii the 
history of Mexico. 

It was in this cit}' that the treaty of peace between 
the I'nited States and Mexico was ratified. Here, also, 
occurred the first meeting of the patriots to take their 
stand against the King of Spain, and })lan for the in- 
dependence of Mexico. 

At this place the Empire of Mexico received its 
death blow, and the Emperor, Maximilian, was ex- 
ecuted. 

• Consulting our guide l)ooks, we find that (Queretaro 
is the capital of the State of (^uereXaro, and a city of 
about oO.OOO iiihnbilants. 

It is an important mamifacturing center for cot- 
ton goods, leather and leathcrwai'c. and sugar. It 
has one gf the largest cotton f.-ictot-ics in the coimtry 



A LIT^IT.K JOURNEY TO MEXICO 29 

and perhaps the model one of America. Tiiis is say- 
ing a good deal. We did not expect to find Mexico 
ahead of the States in this respect. In this factory 
over two thousand men are employed. They re- 
ceive about seventy-five cents a day and work twelve 
hours out of the twenty-four. This would seem small 
wages and a long day's work to workmen in the States. 

But the factory is a "missionary of beauty" to its 
emploj^ees. It has lovely patios filled with tropical 
flowers, fountains and fine statues, which cost a great 
sum to maintain, and the owners think it pays. 

Queretaro is also noted for its opal mines, which have 
been worked for centuries and continue to produce 
great quantities of opals. When we arrive at the sta- 
tion the natives are there with any number of the 
gems to sell. They hand the stones through the car 
windows to the passengers, who are very sure to buy 
some of the pretty jewels. These opals are not larger 
than the fourth of your thumb nail, and of different 
colors. Those sold at the trains are usually defective 
or worthless. The larger and better gems are not cheap. 

Leaving the station, we pass under the great aque- 
duct which supplies the city with water from the 
mountains. The water comes from a stream about 
five miles from the city, and is brought through a 
tunnel and this aqueduct, which is 165 years old. 

Just after leaving the city we get our first glimpse 
of the palm tree, and of beautiful groves of orange 
and lemon trees. 

The train now passes through grand mountains with 
lovely valle3's between; crosses a plain and climbs the 
mountains to an elevation of over 8,000 feet. 



'M) A LITTLK .lorH.NKY TO MEXICO 

A\'li('ii tlic train starts down tho valley toward the 
City of Mexico we lind places at the windows, to get 
a view of the great drainage canal begun 294 years 
ago. This was intended to drain the lakes on the 
plains of Mexico and j)revent the flooding of the cap- 
ital. It failed to accomplish its object, and now a tun- 
nel has l)een built for this purpose. 

The snow-co\ercd peaks of the volcanoes Popoca- 
tepetl and "The Lady in White" are soon seen in the 
distance and we know that in another hour we shall 
be in Mexico City. 

THE MAQUAY PLANT 

As we approach the city of Mexico we pass through 
miles of maguay plantations. Do you know what the 
maguay is? In the United States we call it the cen- 
tury plant, and use it to ornament our lawns. 

To the Mexican people it is useful rather than orna- 
mental. It furnishes them with everything from a 
needle to a housetop, with food, drink and fuel. 

The roots are cooked for food; the leaves dried and 
used to shingle houses; from the fiber of the leaf is 
obtained thread from which cloth, twine, rope, and 
paper are made, and the whole plant serves for fuel. 

The rope is braided into mats to be used for chairs 
and beds. We often see these mats in the market- 
place, with piles of oranges, bananas, and other fruits 
and vegetables piled upon them. 

The maguay is sometimes called "the needle and 
thread plant." Along the edges of the fleshy leaves 
are slender thornlike needles. If one of these needles 
is desired, all one has to do is to push it backward 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 31 

into its sheath and then pull it from its socket. It 
comes forth, bearing with it many tiny fibers. If the 
needle is twisted as it is pulled out the fine fibers unite 
and make a strong thread, which is attached to the 
needle all ready for use. 

But the plant is valued most for the juice it yields. 
This is called honey water, and from it is made pulque, 
the national drink. The Mexicans are very fond of 
this beverage and thousands of barrelfuls are used daily 
in the City of Mexico alone. 

The drink is mildly intoxicating, but not so much 
80 as beer. 

The pulque shops are often gaily decorated with 
pictures and flowers, but these are not necessary to 
announce the existence of such resorts. The odor that 
greets the passer-by betrays their presence in the 
neighborhood. The shops are usually crowded with 
ragged, idle people, but at six o'clock in the evening 
they are closed. 

Would you like to see how this pulque is gathered? 
Then look at this man in the field where the maguay 
plants are growing. See these long, straight rows of 
hugh plants stretching away in every direction. Many 
of the leaves must be at least ten feet high and a foot 
in breadth. In another part of the field are some 
much smaller plants — young ones that were but tiny 
slips when set out. They need little or no care while 
growing, but require from seven to ten years to mature. 

The maguay blossoms but once and then dies. The 
flower stalk, which comes from the center of the veg- 
etable, rises to a height of from twenty to thirty feet 
and is covered with hundreds of yellowish blossoms. 



io 



A LIl^l'LE JOUUXEY TO MEXICU 




rUK MAGLAN I'LANl 



The plant is seldom allowed to blossom, however. 
The peasants watch it very carefully in the spring 
when the flower stalk is ready to appear. At the 
right time the heart or center of the stem is cut out. 
leaving a hollow as large around as a wash bowl or 
basin, and about two feet deep. 

The sap which the plant has stored to nourish the 
flower flows at oiicc" inio this depression and soon tills 
it ; the collector must empty it twoor three times a day. 

The collector can-ies a loiii;-. lliin ^ioui'd. which he 
places in the hollow of the j)lant. He applies his lips 
to one end of the gourd and extracts the sap by suc- 
tion. It is then placed in ;i pigskin hanging over his 
shoulder, oi- in jafs on ilic l)a('k of his donkey. 



A LITTLK JOURNEY TO MEXICO 33 

The pigskins are emptied into vats and the sap al- 
lowed to ferment, when it is called pulque. A pulque 
train goes daily to the city to supply the demand. It 
is not difficult to recognize' these trains. The odor 
announces the contents of the cars. 

A maguay plant yields from eight to fifteen pints 
daily for a period of three or four months, and then 
dies. As a plant is valued at from ten to twelve dol- 
lars, a maguay "plantation is a valuable piece of property. 

MEXICO CITY 

Mexico City at last! A reception committee of 
something like a hundred cabmen meet us at the sta- 
tion and greet us noisily. We do not need to ask the 
fare. This is indicated by the color displayed on the 
cabs. Each vehicle has a small blue, red, or yellow 
flag, which shows the class of the carriage, and its price. 

We have been told that the most popular hotel for 
Americans is the Hotel Iturbide, and when we drive to 
its doors, we find it to be a palace, which was once oc- 
cupied by Emperor Iturbide, of Mexico. 

It is altogether unlike any hotel we have ever seen 
before, and the patio or court, through which we pass, 
is exceedingly interesting. Our rooms are furnished 
much like hotel rooms in the States. Those opening 
on the courts on the sunny side are very pleasant in the 
daytime. But as they are not supplied with heat, 
the evenings spent in them are cheerless and cold. 

It is necessary to keep our wraps on while sitting in 
the house, A^et out in the sunshine of the streets half 
of the people are going about with bare heads, arms 
and feet. 



34 



A LITTL1-: .lOlH-XKY I'o MKXK'O 




I'AlKi i)F JIOTKL ITrRHIDK 



Wo find no mat dies and soaj) in oui' I'oonis, and arc 
intoinicd thai we must pi-oxidc these things for our- 
selves. When we go out to ))ur('hase them we find it 
rather chflicuH to make our way throuirh the streets. 
It is kite in the afternoon and the narrow sidewalks 



A LITTLIO .lOrilNEY 'I'O .MKXICO .'^5 

arc crowded. Each block of a street lias a difTereiit 
name, and when one is not acquainted with this fact, 
it is easy to miss the way. 

The names of the saints are often given to streets 
in Mexico, as is sometimes done in other Roman Cath- 
ohc countries. The streets are narrow, but most of 
them are well paved and kept clean by sweepers. 

The stores of Mexico have fancy names, as do those 
of Cuba. But the red flag here indicates a butcher 
shop and not an auction store. The windows are very 
attractive from the streets and much like the shop 
windows at home, but on entering drygoods stores we 
find few goods displayed on the shelves or in glass 
show cases. Everything is packed carefully away in 
boxes, and if we wish to see an article we must ask 
for it. In all the large stores and in many of the small 
ones we find salesmen who can speak a little English. 

Everything seems very expensive at first, but when 
we remember that a dollar here really means but fifty 
cents of our money, prices do not seem so extravagant. 
Then, too, Mexico is not a manufacturing country. 
Most of the articles for sale have been imported 
from the States or from Europe, and this adds to the cost . 

The matches we buy, however, are made in Mexico, 
and the smallest boxes cost but a cent, or centavo. 
These matches are said to be the best in the world. 
They are very tiny and ignite at both ends. Some of 
them are made of wax in place of wood, and in light- 
ing these we find it best to hold the lighted end up- 
right if we want a quick blaze. 

Many of the native merchants carry their stock 
about with them, in their hands or on their heads or 



36 



A LITTLE JOURXEY TO MEXICO 



hacks or shoulders. They make their sales while wan- 
dering- up ;iiid down t he streets, or [\wy find a conven- 
ient place in the street or road or on the sidewalk, and 
spread their wares there. 

These street inerchanls are a constant source of in- 
terest to us. There goes a pottery vender now, and 
not far behind is a basket seller, literallv covered with 




A BASKKT VKNDKK 



baskets, which seem to be fastened to him with strings. 
There are men and women with trays of fhdccs, very 
fancifull}' colored, but these Mexican sweetmeats are 
not so good as they look and do not tempt us who have 
tried them before. 

Occasionally we meet a bird seller in a sheltered 
corner of the street, with a tiny brown bird perched on 
his finger. Other captives are kept in small wicker 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 



37 



cages of his own manufacture, which are shing over his 
shoulders. He places the little creatures on our* hands 
to prove to us how very tame they are, and they show 
no desire to get away. 

And there goes a man with a bag of charcoal, and 
another with a basket of oranges, and near by, in an 
alley, a poultry merchant. 
A crate of live turkeys is 
slung from his shoulders 
and a couple of fowls are 
held in his hand. 

Flower sellers with bas- 
kets of violets meet us 
every block or two and 
offer us huge bunches of 
violets at ridiculously low 
prices. 

There is one vender or 
pedler who is more per- 
sistent than all the others 
— the lottery ticket seller. 
These venders we meet at 
every street corner, at 
every hour of the day or 
night. Some are men, 
some are women and 
some children. The majority of them, we are 
told, are thieves, who make this business a cloak for 
their real business of pilfering. The lottery is very pop- 
ular in Mexico and is a regular institution of the coimtry. 
The government sometimes runs the lottery itself, and 
realizes a large revenue from the business. Every one 




A FOWL VENDKR 



38 A i-ini-i: .iourxey to Mexico 

seeiiLs to })atroiiiz(' it— the \Hn)V as well as the rich, the 
business man as well as liic idler and gambler. 

MaiiN peons are employed as porters, and it is not an 
uncommon sijrht to see them carry barrels of wine, hug;e 
piecesof furniture, or even pianos, through the streets. 

The first morning of our stay in the capital we are 
awakened by the clanging of many bells; it is time for 
early ma.ss. We hasten out and join the crowds u})on 
the street, for we are anxious to see the great cathedral, 
of which we have heard so mucli. 

In Mexico Sunday is a holiday, and is not observed 
as in the States. The places of amusement are all kept 
open and the Mexican goes from morning mass to the 
bullfight in the afternoon, or the theater in the evening. 

Every Mexican town has its central plaza or public 
scjuare and its cathedral. Sometimes there are a 
number of these plazas, and an alamcda or small park. 
The cathedral usually faces the central })laza. This 
is the case with Mexico City. The grand plaza is in 
the heart of the city. In the plaza is a little flower 
garden, and great trees all about lend their shatle to 
the crowds that gather in this tiny park. 

A bandstand is in the center of the plaza, and our 
guide tells us that everj^ Sunday morning and during 
the evenings of the week the militar\- band plays here 
of the poorer classes. 

The Alameda, a j)ark near by, is frequented chiefly 
by the better classes, and there is nuisic there, also, on 
Sunday. 

Every city and town has its bandstand in the plaza 
and music provided ])y the government, two or three 
evenings of each week. The music is of the best, too, 



A LITTLK .lOURNEY TO INIKXICf) 



:]0 



for the Mexican people are natural musicians, and 
among them are found some of the finest musical per- 
formers in the world. 

The cathedral is on the west side of the plaza, facinii; 
east. It is the largest place of worshi[) in Amei'ica, 




THE ALAMEDA— CITY OF MEXICO 

and the richest in the world. It is built in the shape 
of a Greek cross, and within its walls are found, not 
one but many chapels. 

The cathedral is always open, as Roman Catholic 
churches are everywhere, so we may enter at our pleas- 
ure. People are passing in and out of its doors con- 
stantl3^ Inside the building are the kneeling figures 
of men and women, for mass is said in the cathedral 
every hour. 



40 A LITTLE .lorUXKY To MFA'ICO 

The «!;i'aiiiU' walls uf lliis cclilice cusl two million 
dollars, and it is magnificent, both within and without. 
It is said to have more ^o\d and silver on and about its 
altars than any other church hi the world. The great 
railings around the altars are of solid silver, and the 
lofty candlesticks are of gold. The dome is painted 
with figures illustrating Bible stories, and many rare 
and valuable paintings hang upon the w^alls. 

At one time this church possessed wealth almost V)e- 
3'ond calculation, but it was taken awa}'. 

The churches of Mexico owned so much of the wealth 
of the country that the government feared their in- 
fluence with the people. So a great deal of the church 
property was confiscated and many convents and mon- 
asteries \vere closed, or sold to be used for various 
purposes. That is the reason that some of these fine 
old buildings are now used for hotels and schools. 

Let us climb the stairs that lead to one of the towers, 
for a birdse^'e view of the cit}'. The ascent is a long 
and tiresome one, for it takes us two hundred feet above 
the ground. But we feel repaid for the trouble when 
we see the city spread out before us like a map. 

We are in the midst of a beautiful valley, sin-rotmded 
by mountains. Just outside the city are green fields 
and plains, dotted with lakes, and be3'ond that the 
mountains that shut in the valley. 

From this ])ositi()n we get a fine view of the snow- 
covered peaks of Popocate])etl and his companion, the 
''Woman in White." West of the cathedral is a hill 
crowned b}^ the Castle of Chaj)ultepec. To the north 
is another liill on which is biiill the famous Church of 
Cluadalupc. 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 41 

And what a host of church towers raise their lofty 
spires above the houses of the city! The towers of 
forty-six large churches may be counted, besides that 
of the cathedral. 

The religion of the people is Roman Catholic, and this 
accounts for the 127 fine church buildings to be found 
in the capital. 

It is eas}^ from this position to see the plan upon 
which the city is built. The streets run from north to 
south, and from east to west. They all seem to lead 
to the plaza. 

South of the city is the lake which, through aque- 
ducts, supplies the place with water — Lake Charles. 
On the east is Lake Tezcuco. 

Mexico City is built on a plain surrounded by moun- 
tains. Formerly the drainage was poor, but recently 
a large sewer was built through the mountains at 
great expense. This will reduce the death rate of 
the city very much. 

On the eastern side of the plaza stands the National 
Palace, the largest building of its sort in the world. It 
is low, but very broad, covering more acres of land 
than any other place in existence. It is not at all 
a fine looking structure, but it is an important one. It 
is here that the laws of the country are made, and here 
President Diaz holds audiences and makes his home at 
times. The building also contains the chief offices of 
the government, and a weather bureau and observatory. 

On Monday morning all the idle, curious and pleas- 
ure-seeking people of Mexico come to the Grand Plaza 
to hear the band play and see the president review the 
troops before the National Palace. 



A LITTLK JOrilXKY TO .MKXH'O 43 

On the upper l);ilc()ny sit the president and iiis ofli- 
cers in brilliant iniiforms. Hundreds of men and 
women and children crowd about the square, watching 
the proceedings. After each regiment has paraded 
for an hour before the admiring eyes of the multitude, 
it is given permission to withdraw, and marches back 
into the country, whence it came. 

The Mexican soliders are very insignificant-looking 
little men. The mere exertion of carrying their ])ig 
muskets seems to tire them. They tramp about 
the country from town to town, and with them go 
their wives and children. The march is often long and 
hard for all, for when the children tire the father takes 
them up in his arms and carries them. The patient 
wife tramps along at his side, carrjdng a huge bundle 
of clothing and provisions on her head. When night 
comes the straggling soldiers go into camp, and the 
women make fires and prepare the poor meal. 

The western and southern sides of the plaza are 
made up of broad porches called portales. These ex- 
tend over the fashionable stores and fine shops, being 
supported by columns with arches between. These 
porches are turned into booths or bazars by day, but 
at night the merchandise disappears, and homeless 
Mexicans make them a resting place for their wear}^ 
heads. 

Just east of the cathedral we find the National 
Museum, which contains a collection of antiquities 
of interest to every traveler. Here are relics of the 
races inhabiting Mexico before the present race ex- 
isted, and among these curiosities are many old idols. 
One of the treasures of this museum is Iho Calendar 



44 A LITTLE JOI'RXEY TO MEXICO 

Stone of tlic Aztecs — a huge circular stone covered 
with characters that no one has ever been able to de- 
cipher. 

Near the plaza is the national pawn-shop. This is a 
very old institution, having been established more 
than a hundred and fifty years ago. It was founded 
in the hope of relieving from the greed of the ordinary 
pawn-shops the }:)oor and those in temporary need. 

A loan approaching the value of the article pawned 
is made. If the pledge is not redeemed within a stated 
time the article is sold. Almost everything that can 
be thought of is brought here. As there are many 
rare and beautiful objects that can be bought cheaper 
here than in the stores, it is a favorite shoj)ping place 
for many. 

Now let us walk over to the flower market, adjoin- 
ing the cathedral. If we had been there at sunrise we 
should have seen the Indians coming in with their 
lovely, fragrant burdens, from the little towns around 
Mexico City, and from the Viga Canal. 

As we walk about among the flowers and examine 
the many beautiful species, a dozen peons crowd 
around us and thrust huge bunches of blossoms into 
our faces. Flowers here are ridiculously cheap. A 
few pennies will buy a bushel, and how can we carry 
so many? But wo need not worry long about that. 
A bright-eyed, ten-year-old Indian boy is ex])ectantly 
waiting near by, with a basket in his hand, lie will 
carry our flowei*s for a small fee; what is more, he in- 
sists on doing so. 

Mexico is surely the land of flowei-s. Nowhere have 
we seen such cpiantities of blossoms. They are re- 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 

f. 



45 




THE THIEVES MARKET 



markable alike for their size, and for the richness and 
purity of their coloring. 

One corner of this market is devoted to birds, and 
here we find numberless parrots, cardinals with beau- 
tiful red plumage, canaries, both brown and yellow, 
mocking birds, humming birds, and many others the 
names of which we do not know. 

A policeman stands at every cross corner, but our 
guide cautions us to be watchful of our pockets, as 
Mexico City is noted for its expert thieves. Tourists 
are very apt to lose watches, pocketbooks, handker- 
chiefs and other small articles carried within sight or 
reach of the petty thief, 



4(i 



A LITTLK .FOCHNKY TO MF:XIC0 



A\'(' Mi'c iiiiicli iiilcrcstcd lo licar ihal there is in the 
cily ;i |il:icc known as the ThieNCs" >hirket. and we de- 
cide to \isit tliis uni(|ue institution. When we in- 
([uire wliy the authorities allow the thieves to dispose 




MARKF.TrLACE 
fFrorn "To Nassau, (Julia and Mexico," by the Ward Line Steambtiip (,'o.) 

of their |)hnKler in this pubhc fashion the ii;uide shrugs 
his shoulders and says, ''Qnicn sabc?'' (Who knows?) 

Sunday seems to be a favorite day for the Mexiean 
people to do theii- marketing, and many of them go 
diiectly to the market from church. 

One of the principal markets is south of the cathe- 
dral. The markets aie interesting to every tourist. 
There one can see the fruits of the tropics, not far 
away; all the vegetables and flowers of the country; 
})Oultry, meats, crockery or pottery, and even drygoods. 
There are beans, ])eas, green corn, tomatoes, water- 
melons, squashes, Chile peppere, and fruits without 
number. 



A LITTLIO JOURNEY TO MEXICO 



47 



These are arranged very much as was the produce 
for sale in the markets of other cities we have visited, 
but the marketplace itself is much larger. 

Not far from our hotel and the central plaza is the 
Alameda, a beautiful little park of which we have 
already spoken. We find it a very pleasant place to 
spend a part of the da}^; stone seats are provided for 
those who wish to rest and listen to the fine music; 
and there are walks among the trees for others. 

Carriages are constantly driving by to the Paseo — 
the fashionable driveway of Mexico City. It is a road 




THE PASEO 



which leads from the city out to the hill called Chapul- 
tepec, on which the castle is built. This drive is 
about three miles long, very wide, and is shaded on 



48 A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 

either side by great trees. There is a promenade, 
also, with stone benches, and at re<2;ular intervals beds 
of flowers, and statues. 

From five o'clock until dark this roadway is thronged 
with carriages and men on liorseback, and on Sun- 
days the poorer peo]3le walk along the roadside or 
rest on the benches. 

There are many fine horses and carriages in the pro- 
cession that files down San Francisco Street about 
dark, and the horsemen attract special attention with 
their elal)orate trappings. Their saddles and bridles 
cost a small fortune, and their suits are equall}' fine. 

MEXICAN HOMES AND HOME LIFE 

There are many kinds of dwellings in Mexico, but 
the same style of architecture is employed that we have 
seen in Cuba and Puerto Rico. 

There are palaces and there are huts of sun-dried 
bricks and mud. There are structures of hay and 
reeds, and others built of branches of trees covered 
with leaves, and the poorest of them all oftentimes cover 
the happiest people. 

Everything alwut these Mexican houses is so dif- 
ferent from what we have been accustomed to, that 
we find them a constant source of surprise and interest. 

The Mexican home does not appear a very cheerful 
place from the outside. It looks to us much like a 
prison. High stone walls surround it. and the win- 
dows have heavy iron bars across them. Such safe- 
guards were necessary at one time, because of the 
rol:)bers that infested the land. The robbers have been 
driven from the country now, but the people continue 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 49 

to construct their dwellings just so, because their fore- 
fathers (lid. 

The houses are built close to the sidewalks, and are 
usually two or three story buildings, with flat roofs 




HOMES OF COUNTRY PEONS 



and thick walls. The walls are of stone, but some of 
them are covered with plaster, tinted a delicate pink, 
blue, salmon, yellow or cream color. 

In the city the houses have windows overlooking 
the street, and small balconies where the ladies of 
the household sit and watch the passers-by. 

Suppose we enter one of these homes. The front 
door is amazing in size. You could not move it if 
you tried with all your might. The doorway is large 
enough to admit a locomotive with a train of cars. 



OU A Ll'ITLi: .lUrUNEY l<) MEXICO 

But it is not necessary for us to touch the door. A 
servant stands near to ^uard the entrance, day and 
nip:ht. He admits us now and we pass throufi;h a pas- 
sage to a court or patio. Antl what a pleasant contrast 
to the gray, cold walls outside! Sometimes, in walk- 
ing about the city, we have caught glimpses of beautiful 
gardens through half-open doorway's. But we have 
never before \entured beyond the heavy carved doors 
so jealously guarded from curious, inquisitive eyes — 
and robbers. 

The house is built in the form of a hollow square. 
In tlu^ center of the building is a courtyard or patio. 
If the house is large there may be more than one court. 
Sometimes it is paved with tiles, or brick, or stone, 
and then, again, it may be carpeted with grass. But 
almost always it is made attractive with trees and 
plants and flowering vines. In the center is a well — 
or it may be a fountain — and all about the courtyard 
are cages of singing birds. 

The windows of the house open out on this court 
and here is the favorite playground of the children 
and the gathering place of older meml^ers of the family. 
A porch or gallery extends around the patio. The porch 
is supported by heavy columns, covered with vines. This 
sheltered nook makes a cool retreat fromthe heat of the 
sun, and the noonday meal is often eaten in its shade. 

The first, or lower floor, of the house is used for the 
kitchen, store rooms, stables and servants' quartei'S. 
In order to reach the pailor we climb up a stone stair- 
case, which leads us to a gallery running around the 
second story. The parlor, recej)tion room and bed- 
rooms are upon the second Hoor. 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 51 

The rooms have very high ceilings and some of them 
frescoed walls. The floors are of tile, stone or cement. 
Let us enter the parlor. The floor is carpeted and the 
furniture upholstered. There are two large arm chairs, 
smaller chairs and a sofa arranged stiffly around 
the walls. There are lace curtains at the barred win- 
dows, but no pretty bookcases, no tables covered with 
papers and magazines, no cozy corners, or pictures. 
It appears rather bare to us, and in the evenings, which 
are quite cold, these large rooms seem very cheerless. 

Are you curious to know what a kitchen is like in 
one of these homes? Then come with us. The Mex- 
ican lady who is our hostess tells us that we need not 
expect to see a stove. There is no such thing in her 
house, nor, indeed, in any of her neighbors' houses. 

We find the kitchen dark and scantily equipped. In 
place of a stove there is a raised bank, or wall, of adobe 
about three feet high, two feet wide and five or six 
feet long. In this cooking range are depressions in 
which are little fires of charcoal. These fires are cov- 
ered with earthen pots and jars. Several vessels are 
placed over each fire. Glancing at the contents, we 
find beans, onions, tomatoes, soups and meat. 

There is no chimney in this kitchen, and, so far as 
we can see, little use for one, as no smoke comes from 
the fires. The fumes from the charcoal escape through 
an opening in the roof over the range and through the 
open door. 

Families do not make their own bread, and griddle 
cakes, waffles, and muffins are unknown. Pies, tarts, 
and cakes are seldom found on the table of the Mexican, 
but many fruit beverages are used. 



D'J A LITTLK .lOlKXEV TO MEXICO 

Tlic l)rcakfasl cunsists of a cui) of coffee, or clioco- 
late, with bread, and this is often served in the bed- 
rooms. In Mexican homes there is no fixed hour for 
the meal. Xo two meml)ers of the family are expected 
to take this first breakfast together. 

At twelve o'clock the family meets at a second 
breakfast, which r-orresponds to oui" dinner. This is 
the important meal of the day. Much ceremony is 
observed in serving this and the evening repast. Xo 
two dishes are served at once, and considerable time 
is spent at table, especially at the midday meal. 

During the dinner hour, from twelve to three, many 
of the business houses are closed. Most of the ])usi- 
ness is transacted during the forenoon. After dinner 
comes the nap, and afternoon hours are often em- 
ployed in recreation. 

There are many servants in these homes, for the mis- 
tress does no work. Her time is devoted entirely to 
her faniil}', her church, and to her social duties. These 
latter are somewhat different from those of ladies of 
the States. There are no receptions, teas, club 
meetings, or lectures for the Mexican women to at- 
tend. 

Spanish Mexicans have dark eyes and hair, and 
dark complexions. The men are intelligent, refined, 
and courteous, and those of the higher class are well 
educated. 

The women ai'e delicate looking, graceful, and some 
of them very beautiful, l)ut they are indolent and not 
fond of books or study. Black is the favorite color 
with married women and is much worn by both women 
and children for attendance at church. 



A LITTLE JOI'RNEY TO MEXICO 



.).i 




A MEXICAN GIRL SPINNING 



But on the street, driving, and at balls, the theater, 
and bullfights, very bright colors and gay costumes 
are worn by both men and women. 

Women of the higher class often wear the black lace 
mantilla to mass in the morning and the white lace 
scarf in the evening ; but the hat or bonnet is usually 
worn in the afternoon upon the street or in the carriage. 

The women of the middle class wear a black woolen 
shawl, which they wrap about the head and shoul- 
ders. 

The young girls or ladies of the better class are not 
allowed to walk out alone. They are always accom- 
panied by a relative or a servant. 



54 A LITTLK .lOlKM-.Y TO MEXICO 

^'ounii women are not eniployecl l)v business houses 
in Mexico, if we except an occasional shop girl. Xo 
occupalion is open to tlieni except teaching. If poor, 
they must he content to do sewing, or with positions 
as servants. 

When you ai-e introduced to a Mexican he places 
himself at your orders, and tells you that his house is 
your home. Of course, he does not mean this. It is 
merely a courteous way of telling you he would be 
{jleased to have you call. 

The Mexicans are not a hospitable people, however, 
except when living on haciendas, far from the cities. 
Toiu'ists, or people remaining in the country but a 
short time, seldom have an opportunity to see any- 
thing of the home-life of the people of the better classes. 
In order to do this one must come well provided witli 
letters of introduction. 

Once admitted to a Mexican home, the stranger 
is made one of the family circle. If he happens to ex- 
press an admiration for anything he sees in the house, 
no matter what, he is immediately told that it is his. 
But to accept anything so offered would be a great 
breach of etiquette. It is not expected that he will 
take anything given in this extravagant fashion. 

But nowhere in the world will you find the people 
more polite and courteous than in Mexico. Our atten- 
tion is called to this every day. A Mexican never en- 
ters a door or passes up a staircase ahead of his guest, 
never precedes his companion if the latter is older or 
ranks higher than him.self. 

Every man in Mexico .seems to smoke, and among the 
lower classes the women and children smoke also. 



A LITTLE .lOTRNEY TO MEXICO 55 

Smoking is permitted in all the restaurants and hotels, 
in the theaters, shops, on the trains and street cars, 
and in fact almost everywhere. Even the shopkeeper 
who sells you an opal ring will smoke while making the 
sale. 

Would you like to go to the top of this fine house 
for a view of the city? The roof is flat, as are the 




A PUBLIC LAUNDRY 



roofs of all the other houses. The walls are built 
around the edges of the platform, and in warm weather 
people frequently sleep on their housetops. 

Over many of the houses are the family washings 
hanging to dry. There is no danger of soot, because 
you see there are no chimneys, and consequently no 
smoke. Chimneys are not needed, for the houses 



56 



A T.ITTT.E .lOrRXEY To .MEXICO 



are lieatcd witli cliarcoal, if they are warmed at all, 
wliic'li is iiol very often. Tlie Mexican people think 
that heated houses are not healthful. 

Some of the lar<ie houses in cities and towns have 

laundries, but most of the people send their clothes to 

a })ul)h(' laundry similar to the one shown on page 55. 

In the suburbs, the country and the 

\illa<j;es tlie washing is done on the banks 

of streams, ditches or lakes. The clothes 

are put to soak in tubs 

or jars before being 

[-^^ \; washed, and are then 

pounded with stones or 




1 



rubbed over the routili surface of a stone with the 
hands. I'^ine linen would not stand this treatment 
very long, ))ut tlie garments of the peons and poorer 
classes are made of very coarse, strong material. 

The peon, in his picturesque costume, is a most in- 
terest intr part of every street scene. The people, often 



A LITTLE .TOITRNEY TO MKXTCO 57 

whole families, saunter about in a leisurely manner, 
sit on the curbstones in groups for hours, stretch them- 
selves in the sun in unused corners of buildings 
and doze away the days. Many of them seem to have 
nothing to do, and to care for nothing to do. 

The half-castes have lighter complexions than the 
Indians, and pleasanter faces, but they are not so de- 
sirable as citizens. They are the servants, the muleteers, 
herdsmen, and farmers. They are lazy, passionate, 
and revengeful. 

The Indians are the miners, farm hands, porters, and 
burden carriers of the countr}^. 

The country peons supply the town with pottery, 
baskets, mats, fruit, vegetables, charcoal, eggs, and 
poultry. They will walk to market a distance of 
twenty-five miles, bearing loads of over a hundred 
pounds on their backs. After reaching the market they 
may not be able to get more than a dollar or two for 
their produce. Not much of this is retained or even 
spent wisely, most of it being foolishly parted with 
before leaving town. 

These people, who make up almost two thirds of the 
population, are very ignorant and superstitious. They 
are contented, seldom enterprising or ambitious, often 
indolent, and not inclined to provide for the future. 

Numbers of peons are employed as servants, but 
many of them have no home or employment, and 
no place to lay their heads. How they manage to 
live no one knows. At night they steal into the shad- 
ows of the ])ortales, and, with no covering but their 
blankets, lie until daylight upon the hard stones. When 
the sun makes its appearance, they leave their chilly 



58 A l.ITTLK .lorUXEY TO MEXTPO 

resting j)lacos, and flock lo the plaza. There theyj2;ather 
about the fountains and ))luni:e their faces and hands 
into the walci- wiili cxidc!!! enjoyment. And then 
what? Idleness — just that, day after day. Sometimes 
they cannot get work, sometimes they do not want it. 

Now let us visit one of the humbler liomes near by. 
The dweUing of the peon or peasant is a low, square 
house of adobe, or sun-diied brick. It is without 
windows or floor, and is not at all l)eautiful. But it 
is cooler in summer and warmer in winter than a liouse 
of wood orstone. Itis also cheap and lasts a long time. 

The houses are built close to the sidewalks and 
usually near together. There are no yards with trees, 
plants or vines to relieve the ugliness of the surround- 
ings. The doors are always open, and as we si roll 
along we are able to see into the interior of these homes, 
and ihe way in which their occupants live. 

There is very little furniture in the huts, except 
crockery ; there are earthen vessels for water, and pots to 
hold food. Rush mats on the floor serve as beds. Some 
goui-ds ()!• old clothes decorate the wall, a bench or two 
are ranged next the wall, and in one corner on a rude 
little stand or table is a picture or image of the Virgin. 

The meals are cooked on a mound of clay about a 
foot in height, with a depression in the center. The 
cook squats by this rude range, and carefully watches 
the contents of the earthern pots and jars placed upon 
the charcoal fire. 

Outside the hut the daughter is seated upon the 
groiuid. |)!('j)aring bread foi' the meal. These people 
do much of tlieir cooking out of doors, and, in fact, 
live ()Ulsi(l(^ most of the time, using their huts chiefly as 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 59 

places to sleep. This is particularly true of the peo- 
ple in the warmer parts of Mexico. 

Away from the city the houses are even more squalid 
and poor. The one room that must serve for every 
purpose is here shared with pigs, . dogs and poultry. 
There is no furniture of any description. The people 
live, eat and sleep upon the bare ground, without 
light or ventilation except that which comes in at the 
open door. 

In the warmer regions the people live in huts made 
of poles covered with dry plantain leaves, palms, or 
cornstalks. Sometimes the cabins have no sides, the 
thatched roofs coming down almost to the ground. 
This is merely to afford protection during the rainy 
season, for the people live chiefly out of doors. 

But the prettiest, oddest houses of all are the branch 
houses of the wanderers of the tropics. We have 
never seen anything at all like these. They are made 
by cutting down large branches from the trees and 
planting the cut ends in the ground with the leafy tops 
touching each other. Stones are piled about them to 
make them more secure. AVhen the leafy roof dies, 
and the leaves begin to fall, the family moves to another 
spot and builds a new house. 

But perhaps a third of the Indian people who live 
in Mexico have no houses or homes and very rareh' 
see the inside of even a mud hut. Shelter is not an 
important matter in the tropical regions. 

FOOD 

Bread, as we know it, is unknown to the greater 
number of the Mexican people. They are even ignorant 



60 



A LITTLE .lOIRXEY TO MEXICO 



of what Hour is, and have never seen or, indeed, 
heard of a miU. 

Tortillas, or corn cakes, take the phice of bread. 
These constitute the chief food of the poorer people, 
and are always found upon the tahlo of the rich as 




PREPARIXfi TORTILLAS 



well. They are offered for sale at all the stations, at 
the marketplace, and at every street corner by a vender 
who carries them about on a board or tray. 

Outside almost every hut of the lit lie towns along 
the railroad track, and in the suburl^s, we see women 
sittinjj; on the ground making these tortillas. Passing 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 61 

along the streets of the city we often hear the clap, 
clap of their hands patting these cakes into shape. 
Much of their time is spent in preparing this bread, 
for they are the millers as well as the cooks and bakers 
of the country. 

Before preparing the tortillas they must grind their 
corn, and this is the way they do it: The corn is placed 
to soak in a jar of lime and hot water, over night, or 
until it is soft. Then it is taken out and placed upon 
a stone slab about a foot wide and a foot and a half 
long, called a metate. 

Another stone is used to pound the corn until the 
hull is separated and the grain reduced to paste. To 
do this requires hours of patient work of the women 
kneeling behind the metate. 

When the meal is fine enough, water is added to 
form dough, and bits of this are made into very thin 
cakes about the size of griddle cakes. They are patted 
between the hands until they are the right shape and 
thickness. 

The cakes are then placed on a hot griddle over a 
charcoal fire and cooked, or baked. They are not al- 
lowed to brown, as our corn cakes are, and as they are 
without salt, they seem rather tasteless to us. 

Butter is not used, but red pepper sauce is often 
employed to season the tortillas, and in fact almost all 
kinds of food. 

These Indians do not eat meat once a month. Their 
food consists of wild fruits, beans, vegetables, roots 
and tortillas. 

They make their own liquors — pidque and palm 
wine — and of these they are very fond. The palm 



62 A Li'i ri.i: .loiirxKV to mkxu'o 

wine used on the coast is made fi-oiu suji;ar-('aii(', and 
the puhjiic from the iiiairiiay on the table lands. 

ciiii.i) \AVi: 

When a \rd\)i' is born in Mexico its aiTi\al is an- 
noun('(^d in a very pretty way. The mother sends to her 
friends a message something; like this: "A new ser- 
vant is at yonr disposal." And then the friends hasten 
to the home of the little one and offer congratulations. 

And such nuni])ers of babies we see everywhere! 
Ill ihc streets, churches, marketplaces, peeping from 
shop doors, tum])ling about the floor of the patio, and 
always one in the mother's arms. 

Kight out of every ten women among the peons 
carry babies half hidden in the folds of their rebosas, 
3'et the Uttle ones never seem to cry or make the least 
bit of trouble. The Mexican mother of the lowei* 
classes carries her baby upon her back or hip, where it 
is held in place by the i-el:)osa. 

The babies, in fact all of the children, are usually 
dirty and ragged and uncared for, but if the mothers 
are not careful of their })ersonal appearance they are 
yet very kind to them. 

The Mexican mother is very religious and her children 
learn to tell their beads before they can talk well. 
These little people are not carefully taught in many 
ways, but one thing they all learn \-ery earl\- — to cry, 
speak, and walk softly, and lo pla\- ([uictlN . Tlici-e are 
no liaisli \()iccs among ihciii. ;iiiil one almost never 
hears any ciuarreling even among sch(K)l boys. 

Mexican children have beautiful mannei's and lr(>at 
their parents with tiie greatest courtesy. In this re- 



A LITTLI-: JOURNEY TO AIKXICO 



63 



spect they might set an example to the boys and girls 
of the United States. 

The children of the rich are dressed much like the 
children of our own country, but the children of the 
lower and middle classes do not wear much clothing. 
Their suits are made of coarse white cotton and are 





AN INDIAN MOTHER 



rather scant. The arms and legs are usually bare. 
Some children wear sandals tied on with leather 
strings; others have no shoes at all. The little girls 
wear cotton dresses, but no shoes or hat. Sometimes 
their heads and shoulders are covered v/ith blue cotton 
rebosas, like the mothers'. 



64 A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 

In very warm j)ai-ls of the eountrv the costume of 
the children consists of a strip of cloth around the 
waist, and the babies wear no clothino; at all. 

All Mexican children are artists and wonderful 
modelers. The yoiy babies can mold the mud into 
marvelous images and figures, w^hich are sold in the 
marketplaces and bazars. 

The children spend much of their time at these places, 
and the more bold among the ver>' poor are sure to have 
pitiful faces and outstretched hands ready as we pass 
by. " Un cejitavo," (one penny) the soft voices plead. 
But they are not rude or persistent beggars. 

The food of the children of the poor consists of tor- 
tillas, melons, beans, and perhaps a little fruit. Meat 
is a luxury not often indulged in, but sugar-cane is 
cheap and plentiful. They are very fond of this, and 
perhaps their plum}) cheeks are due to the fact that 
they eat great quantities of it. 

Mexican children are not fond of exercise, and we 
seldom see them romping about the streets. And they 
never scream and shout at their play as many other 
children do. Much of their time is spent lounging 
against the adobe walls of their bare, cheerless homes, 
or following their parents about at their work, or to 
market. They walk aimlessly around, or sit very 
cheerfuU}' in the hot, dusty streets. 

The extremely poor sleep by the dusty roadside or 
under the portals of public buildings, or among the 
cactus, and make their toilet at a \vayside ditch or 
stream, or at a public fountain. That is, if they make 
any toilet at all. Water is scarce in many Mexican 
towns and \vc see man\ unwashed faces. 



A LITTLI-: .lOUKNEY TO MP^XICO 



65 



Most of the children's time is spent out of doors. They 
gather flowers and make them into bouquets to be sold 
in the marketplace; carry water from the fountain; 
make clay images, or peddle charcoal or vegetables. 

They are also allowed to tend the game cocks, which 
receive more care than the babies. The fowls must 
have an airing every day, and are tied by the leg to a 
tree or stick and watched to see that no harm comes 
to them. 

The poor Mexican children have not many pets. It 
costs too much to keep them. But the children of the 
middle and higher classes have birds, cats and dogs, 
just as do the httle ones of other lands. 

And another pet they are sure to have, even the 




A CHILD CARRYING WATER 



()() A LITTLE JOURNKY TO MEXICO 

j)()()r families — the hurro. The cliiklrcii learn to ride 
almost as soon as they learn to walk, and those who 
live on farms are always fine riders. They are taught 
to lasso animals as they ride, and to stoop from the 
saddle and pick up objects without dismounting or 
checking the speed of the horse or donkey. 

The boys love to go to the theater and to the buU- 
figlits on Sunday, and to watch the processions on 
holidays. 

AMien a child in a poor family dies, few tears are 
shed, for the mother's burdens are many and food 
scarce. ''One less mouth to feed," she says. The 
little one is placed m a coffin hired for the occasion, 
and is borne on the head or shoulder of the father 
to its grave. The mother, brothers and sisters, and 
perhaps a few neighbors, form the funeral procession 
which follows on foot. 

EDUCATION 

What can that loud humming noise mean? It 
seems to come from a building half a block away. 
Let us follow the sound. A buzz of voices comes 
through an open door, and looking in we see a school- 
room full of children. 

Some of the little ones sit in chairs, othere at desks 
or on benches and many on the floor. And such a 
noise as they keep up! They are expected to study 
aloud, and if they fail to do this the teacher thinks 
they are neglecting their lessons. We should find it 
difficult to think, let alone study in such a din. 

The disciphne is very mild, however. There is no 
scolding or whipping. The children are taught at 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 67 

home to be polite, and they never lead in talking or 
interrupt a conversation. 

Passing to another room, we find it full of half- 
grown boys, studying very quietly. They have lessons 
in English as well as Spanish, and their classes are 
conducted in much the same manner as ours are at 
home. 

The Mexican schools and school buildings are not 
equal to our own ; and I am afraid that our boys and 
girls would rebel if obliged to spend ten hours a day 
in the schoolroom, as many Mexican children do, for 
they begin their school work at seven o'clock in the 
morning. 

Children enter school at six years of age. The 
branches taught are little different from those taught 
in the United States. Primary instruction is of three 
kinds — that offered by the private, the public and the 
parochial school. 

The parochial schools are under the direction of the 
Roman CathoUc Church. Instruction in the public and 
parochial schools is free, and the pupils are provided 
with books, slates and paper, as in many schools of 
the United States. The greatest fault of these in- 
stitutions is said to be a want of thoroughness. 

After the first few years in school the boys and girls 
are separated and different rooms are provided for 
each. In some schools needlework is made a feature; 
in parochial schools the pupils are trained in the 
catechism and taught church history. 

Sometimes the children are taught at home by a 
governess, who remains with her pupils a couple of hours 
each day. They study their lessons with their mother. 



68 A i.irii.i; .loruxKv ro mkxico 

I]\('ry little \illa»;c' in Mcxit-i) has its free ])ublic 
school. Ill almost evorv puhhc school above the 
primary tri'ade, and in vwvy j)i-ivate school, traming 
school and college, I'Jiglish is a compulsory study, so 
that in a few years the Mexicmi people will be able to 
speak English as well as Spanish. 

I say almost every school has its English lessons, 
but not all. If you will go with us as far south as the 
Mexican Southern Railway will take us, and then a 
day's journey in a coach, we shall find ourselves in a 
large town where there is not a single white person, or 
one who can speak English. 

Mere we will visit one of the boys' schools. It is 
fitted up much as one of our own schools of twenty 
years ago. The teacher, who is a man, comes forward 
to meet us, bows and smiles, but is puzzled by our call. 
He can speak no word of English, but when we make 
known our desire to see some of the work of the school 
he shows us the written exercises on the slates in the 
hands of the pupils. 

In one corner of the schoolroom is a cabinet contain- 
ing small colored models of a number of wild and do- 
mestic anunals, which are probably used for language 
and geography work. In another cabinet is a fine 
collection of minerals. We are in the midst of a rich 
mining district, and tlu^ pupils are taught to distin- 
guish between the ores. 

Some of the children who li\c a\va\- from the cities 
never learn to read or write. Out on the great haci- 
endas are thousands of children who never go to school. 
Tliev are born, grow old. and die without knowing any- 
thing about the world. 



A lATVlA'] JOURNEY TO MEXICO 00 

But Mexico is now aclvanciu^ rapidly in educational 
affairs, and it is thought that at the present time fully 
one-half of the people are able to read and write. 

In addition to the free public schools of Mexico 
there are a large number of private schools, technical 
schools, and industrial schools, where trades are taught. 
There are military schools for those who desire a mil- 
itary education and intend entering the army; and 
there are night schools for the men and women of the 
city. Still, education is in a backward state compared 
with education in many other countries. 

AMUSEMENTS 

The Mexicans are a pleasure-loving people, and 
much of their time is devoted to amusements. Busi- 
ness houses are closed on national and church festival 
days, and of these last Mexico has a greater number 
than any other Roman Catholic country. 

Indeed, these feasts or saints' days occur so often 
that it seems to us there must be a saint for every day 
in the year. And every feast day of the church is a 
holiday for the people. 

Ever}^ man is named for some particular saint, and 
always celebrates his birthday by closing his place of 
business and taking a holiday. The church ceremo- 
nies and religious observances of the people are closely in- 
terwoven with their amusements and household customs. 

The Mexican Christmas differs in many respects 
from Christmas in the United States. It begins on the 
12th of December and lasts until New Year's Day. 

The Christmas festivities are ushered in with feast 
days in honor of the patron saint of Mexico, the Virgin 



70 A LITTLE .lOIKXKY TO MEXICO 

CJuadalupe. l)unii<j; this period the streets, homes and 
churches are the scene of one continual jubilee. The 
courtyards and windows are hung with lanterns, and 
all the })ublic places are decorated. 

The children go about the streets carrying the 
Christmas I'^lower, a very large, deep crimson blossom 
which always blooms at Christmas time. It is highly 
prized at this season, and finds a place in the decoration 
of l)oth homes and churches. 

From I lie 19th until the 2r)th of Decemljcr the litany 
of the posada is sung and processions held in the homes 
of Mexico. The word posada in this place has refer- 
ence to the story of Christ's birth. When Joseph and 
Mary went to Judea to pa}' their tax the city was so 
crowded that there was no room for them at the inn; 
they wandered about nine days before they could find 
shelter, and at last were obliged to take refuge in the 
stable in which Christ was born. The posada portrays 
these nine da3's of wanderings. 

Household processions are formed, which consist of 
the famil\', servants and invited guests; these march 
about the corridors with lighted candles, singing litanies. 
Wax figures of Mary and Joseph are carried before 
the procession, and every door that is passed is knocked 
upon as though in an effort to gain shelter. At last 
the procession passes into the chapel, which is near or 
a part of so many of the grand houses; an anthem 
is simg, a mass said, and then the procession dis- 
bands. 

After this the fun begins. The most important part 
of lliis is the breaking of the piuatc. This pinate is 
an call hen jar filK'd witl> candic's. luits and toys. The 



A LITTLK JOURNEY TO MEXKX) 71 

jar is decorated, or else entirely concealed by a sort of 
dress or mask made of gaily colored tissue paper. 

Sometimes these jars are made to look like dolls, or 
huge birds, or beasts, and the}^ are of all sizes. Some 
of them are as large as a half grown child. 

Just before Christmas pedlers go about the streets 
with these figures suspended from a pole. They are 
sure to be followed by admiring troops of children, 
who enjoy looking at the jars even if they cannot buy 
one of the coveted articles. The plaza is crowded with 
booths where these figures are also suspended, and one 
finds a goodly assortment to choose from there, and at 
a price to suit the pocketbook — anywhere from fifty 
cents to several dollars. 

The pifiate is suspended from the ceiling by wires, 
or from a cord stretched across the patio. Then each 
person in turn is blindfolded, armed with a stick, and 
invited to break the piiiate — if he can. Three chances 
are allowed to each one. When the jar is broken the 
candies fall to the floor and there is a wild scramble for 
them. 

In wealthy families the pinates sometimes contain 
gold coins, jewels and handsome gifts of various kinds 
instead of sweetmeats. 

After the breaking of the piiiate there is a dinner or 
dance, or a theater party, and the celebration ceases 
at a very late hour. 

Another popular festival, called Judas Iscariot Da}^, 
is held on the last day of Holy Week. The object of 
this occasion is to heap dishonor upon the name of Judas. 

Preparations are made for this event several days 
beforehand. Booths are erected in the streets and 



-•) 



A LITTLE .loriiXKY TO MEXICO 



li^ures representing Judas arc hung everywhere — on 
himp-posts and balconies, at the street corners, in 
windows, on trees, and even from vehicles. The 
figures arc of all sizes, from one to five feet high. They 
are made of paper and rags and filled with fireworks 
and j)Owder. 

On the morning of Judas Iscariot Day every boy 
and man on the street has one of these figures 
ready to be destroyed at the right moment. The 
hidies come out on the balconies, and the streets are 
filled with people. Finally at ten o'clock in the morn- 
ing the great bell in the cathedral sounds, and matches 
are applied to the figures, which explode amid great 
rejoicing. Other church bells add their noise to the 
general confusion. This is kept up until every Judas 
is destroyed. Then the bells cease ringing and the 
frolic is over. 

One of the prettiest of Mexican fetes is the Feast 
of Flowers. It was formerly an Indian festival. 
Flowers are brought down the Viga Canal from the 
floating gardens, and from across the lakes, and the 
banks are covered with the most gorgeous blossoms. 

Pi'eparations for the event are made days before by 
erecting tents, frames and booths for flowers. Very 
early in the morning the Indians for many miles around 
biing to the Alameda loads of flowers. These are 
arranged in ijoucjuets, in masses about the fountains, 
and in the booths and tents. 

Later the people of the city come in crowds to the 
])aik. They pa.ss liu'ough the flower-lined j)assages 
and {)urchase freely, decorating themselves with the 
l)lossoms and carrying away (|uantities to beautify 



A LITTlvE .lOrHXK^' PO MI^XK'O 73 

their homes. The bands of music in the park add lo 
the pleasure of the occasion, and noon finds the crowds 
still enjoying the festival. 

Of late years the Combat of Flowers has been added 
to the feast. This popular festivity is confined to 
the higher classes and takes place on the Paseo, 
the driveway leading to the castle. 

On this feast day the carriages of those who celebrate 
are decorated with floAvers of the most beautiful colors, 
even the wheels being covered. The vehicles are also 
filled with violets, roses, pansies and other flowers, and 
the occupants pelt each other and passers-by in a 
very lively fashion. 

Prizes are awarded to those who have the most 
artistically decorated carriages, and to the ladies wear- 
ing the most beautiful costumes. 

The Mexican is fond of the theater, the circus, and 
of bull and cock fights, and he loves to gamble. The 
national sport is the bullfight. These fights are held 
on Sunday or feast days and are always well attended, 
especially by the people of the lower classes. This 
sport is brutal and degrading, as bad as our prize 
fights. 

Another popular amusement is cock fighting. The 
game cocks are carefully trained, and, as we have 
said, the care of the birds is a part of the work of the 
children of the household. Sometimes the boys carry 
their charges to school, and during the recesses amuse 
themselves by watching battles between the cham- 
pion fighters. 

The places where cock fights take place are known 
as cock pits. The lairds are placed in the center of a 



74 A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 

rill*:;, and the owners and spectators gather about and 
watch the battle with the greatest hiterest and en- 
joyment. 

Tliere is usually much excitement during these per- 
foi-mances, and when all the money in the possession 
of the peons has been gambled away, they wager their 
hats, scarfs, burros and anything else they own. 

We often see game cocks under the arms of peons 
on the streets or at the stations, where they come to 
dis})ose of the birds. 

AROUND ABOUT THE CITY 

All the street car lines of Mexico City start from the 
grand plaza, and when we desire a little trip into the 
suburbs we go to the plaza to take the cars. 

There are first and second class street cars as well 
as coaches in Mexico. The first-class cars are painted 
yellow. The second-class cars are green and follow 
a half block beliind thoce of the first class. The green 
cars are much cheaper than the yellow, and are patron- 
ized only by the poorer people. The driver carries a 
tin horn, which he blows ^'igorously at street corners 
as a warning to others to clear the track. 

The street cars are put to new and odd uses here. 
There are freight cars, cars for sheep and goats, and 
funeral cars. The peo])le go to their graves by street 
car in Mexico City. A funeral car starts every hour 
from the plaza, near the cathedral. It has a liigli black 
cross over its broad, black platform, and is called the 
"car of the dead." 

"^riiere are usuall>' two cofTins to one corpse. One 
cofiin holds the dead and the other is hlled with flowers 



A LITTLIO .lOrUXKV TO MEXICO 



75 



which are to be emptied on the corpse in the grave. 
The poor people take their dead to the grave on their 
backs, but they also have two coffins, and they, too, 





CASTLK OF CIIAPULTEPEC 



go to the cemetery by way of the beloved cathedral. 
These people do not bury the coffin with the dead. It 
is always brought back by the professional carriers, for 
it is only hired for the occasion. 



CHAPULTEPEC 

Nearly all the points about the city may be more 
conveniently and quickly reached by car than by car- 
riage, but there is one exception — the hill and the 
Castle of Chapultepec, at the farther end of the Paseo, 
three miles south of Mexico. 



70 A i.irrij; .lorijxKv ro mkxico 

Oiu' part of I he castlt^ is used as the suiimier home 
of the president and another as the Mihtary Academy 
— the West Point of ^h^\i('o. 

Tlie park and hill were the scene of a battle between 
the United States troops and the Mexicans in 1847, 
when the liill was carried by assault. A tablet marks 
the spot where many l)rave young cadets fell defend- 
ing this hill. 

The castle is built on the .summit of the hill, wliich 
is a mass of gray rock ri.sing some two hundred feet 
above the siuTounding country. About the hill is a 
forest of magnificent old cypress trees. Through this 
wood our carriage winds and mounts to the summit, 
stopping before the gates of the castle. 

The decorations of the castle are beautiful and 
unique, and no similar building in the world is furnished 
in more exquisite taste. The views from the wide gal- 
leries of the palace are truly grand. On one side are 
the volcanoes Popocatepetl and the Woman in White, 
on the other the richly cultivated fields, the canals, 
the aqueducts, the City of Mexico, and the whole val- 
ley beyond, dotted with its lakes, villages and 
towns. 

In the foreground are the rocks and steep hillsides, 
the splendid cypress trees of the park and the old acjue- 
duct. One could linger here for hours and never tire 
of the views. 

GUADALUPE 

Another exceedingly interesting excureion, and 

one which may be made by si red (';ii'. is out t(^ the 
hill and church of (luadaluj)e. 



A LITTLE .lOlHXEY TO MEXICO 



7 



The ride takes us through the narrow streets of the 
city, across the marshes on a broad causeway, where 
there is a paved road hned with trees. There are 
many ancient shrines along the route, where the people 




CUAI'KL <)1-' Tin; WELL, GUADALUPL 



pause to invoke the blessing of the saints as they make 
their pilgrimages from the cit}^ to Guadalupe, the 
most sacred shrine of them all. 

The cars stop in front of the church at the foot of the 



78 A i.ii ii-K .ioruNHV TO :\ii:xi('o 

hill whereon is the shriiu'. We pass through a httle 
garden at the right of the church and come to a small 
chapel, in the entrance of which is a fountain of clear 
water. From this s})ot stone stairs lead to the chapel 
on the crest of the liill, one of the most picturesque 
spots ill all Mexico. 

Why is this ehapel the holiest shrine in Mexico? 

The guide tells us that nearly four hundred years 
ago an apjiarition of the Virgin appeared to a pious 
Indian and commanded him to build a chapel on this spot. 
He told his story to the priest,who refused tobelievehim. 

Again the Virgin appeared, and this time com- 
manded the Indian to gather some roses from this hill 
and take them to the priest. No flowers had before 
been found in this place, but the}^ now appeared, and 
he carried them to the priest in his lilma, or blanket, 
with the message a second time. 

\\'hen he emptied the flowers at the feet of the 
priest there appeared a perfect picture of the Virgin 
upon the tilma. The priest was then convinced, and 
a shrine was built which stands today. 

The precious tilma, with its mysterious picture, was 
framed with gold and placed over the altar. Although 
s(j old, its colors are bright and fresh as if painted only 
yesterday. The small chajiel, with the fountain near 
the stairs at the bottom of the hill, is said to be on 
the spot where the Virgin appeared to the Indian. 

THE VIGA CANAL AND THE FLOATING GARDFNS 

The most novel excursion that one can take is up 
the Viga Canal to the floating gardens of Lake Clialco. 
This canal runs from the lake to the City of Mexico, 



A LITTLE .TOURNKY TO MEXICO 79 

and is used by the Indians to transport their vege- 
tables and flowers to the city markets. 

The floating gardens are reached by horse cars, but 
the pleasanter way is to go a part of the distance by 
car and then take a canoe or flat-bottomed boat for the 
remainder of the journey. 

In one end of the craft a nut-brown Mexican stands, 
in his hand the long pole with which he propels the 
boat. He shoves the boat from first one side and 
then the other, and we sit in the shade of the white 
canopy and watch the passers-by. 

On the canal are many other boats containing passen- 
gers, for this is a popular resort; but there are also 
many flat-boats laden with vegetables and flowers. 
Sometimes a gay party of Mexicans pass by, and the 
music of their voices and the tinkle of guitars float 
across the water to us. Along the banks of the canal 
are walks where people stroll about, and little villages 
of adobe houses, about which children play and men 
and women sit listlessly in the sun. 

When we reach Santa Anita we leave our boat and 
walk about among the gardens, which are not, after 
all, floating gardens. They are only bits of land with 
little canals, insted of walks, between the beds or plots. 

The flowers are watered from the canal, and the 
gardeners go about in boats from bed to bed or field to 
field, watering, planting, cultivating, or gathering their 
crops, and then to market down the Viga. 

AN HACIENDA 

Suppose we engage one of these coaches to take us 
put into the country for a visit to an hacienda. We 



6U 



A 1.11 11,1. .lol K.\l.\ K) .Mi;.\RU 



h;iv(^ IxH'ii told tliat the i-icli xallcx's and plains are 
divided u() iiitt) immense plantations consisting of 
farms and ranches, and tliat sonu^ of them contain 
thousands of acres. 

On these haciendas flocks of sheep and ^oats, herds 
of cattle, and dioxcs of horses ai'e pastured. Here 




ON THi: l'.\RM 



are raised vast crops of wheat, corn and barley, and in 
the Southland, cotton, tobacco, sugar-cane, coffee and 
tropical fi'uits. The haciendas are owned by wealthy 
Mexicans, who live on. them only a part of the year. 

Hundreds of men ai'e often employed on these vast 
j)lantations and a suj)erintendent with his assistants 
looks after and directs the peons in their work. 

The owner lives in a large house near the center of 
the estate. It is enclosed l)v high walls, for there are 
many thieves about. The houses of the workmen are 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO SI 

clustered around, and with the store, chapel and per- 
haps a school, make quite a little village. 

At night the implements, tools, machinery and 
wagons are locked up within an inner court of the 
owner's house. There are bells in the towers of this 
court wall, to ring the hours of work or give notice of 
danger. The houses of the proprietors are usually very 
large, and those of the workmen quite small. 

The fields are, many of them, fenced in with cactus, 
set very close together. It would be difficult for even 
a chicken to slip through some of these fences. The 
spines make the cactus an excellent barrier against 
thieves and other intruders. This species is known as 
the organ cactus, because it grows in straight columns 
clustered together in such a way as to resemble a church 
organ with its pipes. 

The cactus grows best where the soil is poor and few 
other plants can live. Some varieties serve as food 
for the goats and the donkeys. Thousands of tons of 
it are used every year to make paper. 

The great fields of flax we see growing on the hacien- 
das are made into linen fiber, and the lint is spun into 
thread by the women. Other women draw threads 
from the linen and make beautiful scarfs, doilies, table 
covers and handkerchiefs of it. 

The ordinary plows used on these haciendas are 
made of wood and have but one handle. The peon 
will not use a plow with two handles. He says he 
must have one hand free to drive the oxen. He does, 
to be sure, not plow very deep, but the earth is so 
fertile that if well irrigated it will produce two or 
three crops a year. 



82 A LITTLE JOrRXEV TO MEXICO 

Mexicans have a very odd way of thrcshiiiji; j!;rain. 
It is thrown upon the hard earth, antl horses are driven 
over it to tread out tlie <rrain with their hoofs. The 
natives much prefer this method to the American 
threshinji; machine. 

The prochicts of the haciendas are wood, himber, 
charcoal, hvestock, grain, fruit, tobacco, cotton, sugar, 
cocoa, milk, pvdque and beans. Beans are one of 
the most important food i)roducts. This dish is served 
twice a day at the table of l^oth rich and poor. A fail- 
ure in the bean crop would be as great a misfortune in 
Mexico as the failure of the potato crop in Ireland. 

We find a Mexican farm very different from one in 
the States. The implements used are rude and old- 
fashioned, but the Mexican peon does not take kindly 
to our modern farming implements and machinery. 
American reapers, mowers and plows have been intro- 
duced in many parts of the country, but the peasants 
ol)ject to their use and sometimes destroy them so as 
not to be obliged to handle them. 

Thousands of the peons work for a few cents a day. 
They are obliged to borrow from their masters, and are 
usually so deeply in debt that they have to remain with 
'one employer for years. 

The owners of these haciendas, and in fact of most 
of the property in Mexico, are Spaniards and Mestizos, 
or the descendants of Spaniards and Indians. The 
Indians and poor Mestizos form the laboring class. 

TRAVEL IN MEXICO 

A generation ago such a tour as we are now taking 
would have Ijeeii impossil)le. The country Wiis in- 



A LITTLE .lOCKNEY TO MEXICO 



<S3 



fested with brigands, and travel everywhere unsafe. 
Not only the country, but many of the cities, were in 
the power of the bandits, who robbed and murdered 
at will. There were no railroads, no telegraph lines, 
and very little commerce. The brigands kept visitors 
away and paralyzed business. People did not care to 
invest money in great enterprises where life and pro- 
perty were not safe. 

Now, thanks to President Diaz, all is changed. With- 
in the last fifteen years he has rid the country of bandits. 
He has offered many inducements to railway companies 
to build roads thfough the republic. He has encour- 
aged enterprises which would better the Mexican 
people, and bring foreigners with capital into the 
country, to develop its resources. 

Today life and property are as safe in Mexico as in 




THE MOST POPULAR MEXICAN RAILWAY 



84 A I.n ILK JOl'RXEY TO MEXICO 

our own count rv. Railroads now extend to almost every 
part of the republic, and transportation facilities are 
as good as in our own western states. 

The country has telegraph lines, post offices, costly 
public buildings and free schools. But it is only of 
late years that the |)eoj)le have been induced to use 
the iron hoi-se. Many of the ignorant and superstitious 
people do not yet look upon it with a friendly eye. 

The first railroads were built under great difficulties. 
The majority of the people opposed them. They looked 
with fear and sus})icion upon the foreigners who built 
the roads. In some parts of the country the Indians 
called upon their gods to destroy these roads and 
undertook to assist by stealing the rails, ties, and 
everything they could lay their hands upon that was 
in any way connected with the building of the railway. 
It was necessary to guard this property day and night, 
and to rivet the bolts to the ties in order to keep the 
people from drawing them out. 

At other times the roads were destroyed during revolu- 
tions that were constantly breaking out in the country. 

Until a few years ago the burro took the place of 
the railway, and in many places today it is the popular 
means of transportation. It is a part of the land- 
scape, no matter which way you look. In the city and 
out, always on the move, these long-suffering little 
beasts plod along with burdens that seem heavy enough 
to crush them. Sometimes they carry freight, .some- 
times passengers, and often both. One frequently sees 
the family of a farmer coming to town accompanied 
by this animal — the oldest boy leading, the father 
walking and the mother and smaller children ridinir. 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 



85 




The people in many country districts convey their 
produce to the markets or stations in huge, clumsy 
carts, or on their own or their burros' backs. The ox 
carts used are to our northern eyes very curious con- 
veyances. The wheels are sohd wooden affairs, without 

spokes or tire. The cart 
usually has a cover of 



staves and muslin to pro- 
tect the occupant from 
the sun. 

This cumbersome affair 
is drawn by oxen, the 
number depending on the 
size of the load. Some- 
times whole families, re- 
turning from town, 
stretch themselves at full 
length in the bottom of the cart and trust the oxen to 
take them safely home. 

But the majority of the people are too poor to own 
oxen, horses or donkeys, and carry their produce to 
town on their backs just as they have done for cen- 
turies. Fruit, vegetables, grain, sugar-cane, pulque, 
charcoal and pottery are all carried in this way. These 
Indians can carry a load of 100 or 150 pounds and 
cover the ground more quickly than a horse. 

Pigskins are used to convey the pulque to town, 
and when these are filled with the liquid and the four 
legs stick out in as many directions, the peon with 
his load is a ridiculous spectacle. 

If we wish to ride into the interior, beyond the line 
of the railwa}^, we must, take a diligence. This is used 



MEXICAN OX CART 



Sfi A LITTLK .I()ll{\KV TO MEXICO 

wherever it will not j)ay to buikl a railway. As the 
Mexican roads are bad, tliese carriages are constructed 
to withstand all kinds of jolts and jars. They are not 
handsome vehicles, but they are roomy and com- 
fortable. 

CUERNAVACA 

We mi<2;ht spend weeks in Mexico and its suburban 
villa,ii;es and the surrounding country, but we must 
journey on to the other cities, for the days of our stay 
are numbered. 

One of the most attractive cities near by is Cuerna- 
vaca, fifty miles from Mexico, southwest, over the 
Mexico, Cuernavaca & Pacific Railway. The route is 
through a wonderfully picturesque region. From the 
})lain to the surrounding mountains the views are beau- 
tiful, and the town itself is one delightful garden. 

Visiting the State Capitol, we are told that it was 
once the palace of Cortez, and that some of the last 
years of his life were spent here. During the reign of 
Emperor Maximilian, Cuernavaca was the summer 
capital of the republic. The last days of his stay there 
were spent in the Jardin, or Garden of the Horda, one of 
the most restful, beautiful places in all Mexico. This 
garden was built by a man who made millions of dollars 
in the mines; he spent one million on it, with its innu- 
merable lakelets, fountains, cascades, terraced slopes 
and choice trees, shrubs and flowers. 

The cliniate of Ciierna\aca is j)erfe('t. and we do not 
wonder that many wealthy Mexicans choose to make 
it, rather than the more brilliant ('aj)ital city, their 
home. 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 



87 



We engage donkeys here for a ride into the country, 
which is full of interest for tourists. There are water 
falls and deep ravines, some potteries, sugar planta- 
tions and haciendas. All the fruits of the tropics 
are to be seen in these fields and gardens, and after a 




THE MILKMAN 



ride over these rough and stony roads we are hungry 
enough to enjoy them. 

We decide to stop at one of the little wayside restau- 
rants, and a dingy enough place we find it, with its 
sunbaked earthenware dishes upon a rude bare table, 
and dirt, dirt, everywhere. For food we are given 
corn meal gruel, a meat stew made very hot with pep- 
pers, boiled pumpkin, beans and tortillas. 



88 



A I.ITTI.K .lOrnXEY T(l MEXICO 



After a \'ain ciToi't lo do justice to the \'i;ui(is we 
order eggs, whicli may always be had, and witli tliese 
and the gruel and beans we manage to satisfy our 
hunger. Coffee is also brought to us, but it bears so 




ON THE WAY TO MARKKT 



little resemblance to coffee as we know it, that we de- 
cline and order chocolate. This proves to ])e some- 
what better, but as the Mexican chocolate is (laNored 
with cinnamon we do not find it altogether to our taste, 
and turn for enjoyment to the delicious fruit set be- 
fore us. 

AN EASTERN TRIP 

Ho, for the hot lands and the most delightful trip 
that Mexico affords! W'e have been assured that the 
ride from Mexico City to Vera Cruz on the Mexican 
Kaihva\' will enable us to \iew the grandest scenery 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 89 

on the continent, and take us throiig;h a half dozen 
chmates in less than a dozen hours. Where is there 
another country in which such an experience is possible? 

Leaving the city early in the morning, we find heavy 
wraps necessary for comfort. We quickly speed up 
the gentle incline which takes us to and through the 
plains and fields of pulque which surround the city. 

We are now passing through the frigid or cold belt 
of the country. The elevation varies from eight to 
five thousand feet above the sea. The lofty mountain 
peaks that surround us are covered with snow. The 
climate is delightful. No matter how hot the sun may 
be, the air is brisk and fresh. 

The train descends the mountains in curves and at 
times we find ourselves on the very brink of great 
chasms that are too deep to be measured by the eye. 
It makes us dizzy to look into the depths below, and 
often we hold our breath lest some disaster befall the 
train and send us all over the precipice. 

We cross valleys, and deep chasms on slender 
bridges, dart through tunnel after tunnel, and sweep 
around sharp curves so often that it seems as though 
y^e face a different point of the compass every few 
minutes. 

The locomotive used to move the train on these 
steep grades is a double one. It looks like two en- 
gines placed together back to back. 

We pass from the cold to the temperate region, 
where the elevation drops from four to one thousand 
feet. Here are fertile valleys with green fields of corn, 
wheat, barley and sugar-cane. The vegetation be- 
comes verv profuse as we reach the lower altitude. In 



90 A I.ITTLK JOIHNKV TO MEXICO 

tills tropic horckMland wo soo the fruits and foliage of 
both zones. 

There are dense thickets where the trees are covered 
with «;iant vinos and liiddon by rare and curious 
orchids. New and stran<^o fiowers nod their bright 
heads to us as the train whizzes by. 

We pass the foot of the highest peak on tlie North 
American Continent — the volcano Orizaba, which is 
over 18,000 foot in height. Reaching the town of 
Orizaba, wo come to the coffee zone. Banana planta- 
tions skirt the road on either side, and under tlieir witle 
leaves we can see the dark green foliage and red berries 
of the coffee trees. 

The banana trees are planted to shade the coffee 
trees, for the coffee is the more valuable product. It 
looks as though the picking of the coffee crop might be 
rather a tedious task. But some of the trees jield as 
high as five pounds of coffee a year. 

The berries are crushed to get the hulls from the 
seeds, which are then dried and cleaned for the 
market. 

There are many large plantations lying between Oriza- 
ba and the sea, and a peep into some of the buildings 
on the plantations would show 3'ou a picture much like 
the one on the following page. 

The Mexican peo{)le claim to raise the l)est coffee in 
the world, but we are much inclined to doubt this, for 
the coffee served to us in Mexico is certainly the worst 
we have ever tasted. Perhaps it is because of the way 
in which it is prepared. 

High above the roofs of the cars the bamboo canes 
shake their feathery branches, and from the trees near 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 



91 



by hang vines bearing vanilla beans that are used to 
make the extract known as vanilla. 

We are now in the tropics. The air is soft and warm, 
and brief showers are frequent. The cocoa palm rears 
its proud head amid forests of orange, banana, coffee 



j% 






PREPARING COFFEK 



and cocoa trees. Here, too, are the mango, the cocoa, 
the pretty, delicate pepper, ferns as tall as a man, and 
rose trees a dozen feet high. 

At some of the stations venders offer us small cakes 
of chocolate, which we find very acceptable. Our 
guide tells us that if we look from the windows of the 
train we can see the orchards where the cocoa trees 
grow. These orchards look to us like banana planta- 
tions, but we are told that the banana trees are planted 



\)'2 A LITTLi:: JOURNEY TO MEXICO 

only for the sheller whicli lliey aiVonl the cocoa trees. 
Tlie latter have smooth, gray hark, long oval leaves, 
and seed pods four inches in length. 

Examining some of the pods brought to us at the 
station, we find that they contain a number of seeds 
witliin a soft pulpy substance. These pods are pulled 
from the trees with forked wooden sticks and carried 
to a shed. There the pods are cut open and the seeds 
taken out and buried in the sand. The seeds are next 
placed on mats in the sun, to dry, and then packed in 
bags made of hide and sent to the United States and 
other countries. 

The chocolate manufactui'ers to whom they are sent 
roast them as the coffee berry is roasted, and then 
crush them into a fine powder. Water, sugar, and 
sometimes spices, are added to make a paste, which is 
pressed into the required shape. 

A great deal of work, then, must be done before the 
cocoa tree will yield us these cakes of chocolate which 
we so much enjoy. The farmer finds his cocoa orch- 
ards quite profitable, however, if he kills the caterpil- 
lars which eat the leaves, and drives away the parrots 
and other birds which devour the fruit. But several 
years must elapse before his crop is ready to 
harvest. 

VERA CRUZ 

Vera Cruz is situated on the low, sandy shore of 
the (lulf of Mexico, and surrounded by swamps and 
marshes. It has a poor, unsafe harbor and ships are 
obliged to land their passengers and freight in boats. 

At first sight the city is neitlier attractive nor inter- 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 98 

esting, and it is very hot. We have been warned Mot 
to Unger here long because of the danger of fever, and 
we decide, after a brief inspection of the city, that a 
day will satisfy us. The streets look clean and 
white, but the odors that arise from them con- 
vince us that fevers lie in wait for the unwary 
traveler. 

Great flocks of black buzzards make this city their 
home. They perch on the buildings and stalk about 
the streets in perfect safety, for they are the city scaven- 
gers and as such are protected by the law. No one 
ever disturbs them, for to do so would mean a fine or 
imprisonment to the offender. 

We wander out to the pier and find a United States 
warship chained to the dock. The sailor boy on guard 
tells us that it is against the rules to allow visitors to 
board the vessel, but a superior officer relents when he 
hears of our desire, and we are shown through Uncle 
Sam's vessel. 

From the ship we get a new view of Vera Cruz, and 
we find it very beautiful. The setting sun throws a 
warm glow over the sky. The towers and domes of 
the city, and its white and pink houses, stand out 
clearly against the blue sky and the yellow cliffs back 
of the town ; to the left, far distant, the stately volcano 
Orizaba lifts its snow-capped head. 

Tampico has a much better harbor than Vera Cruz, 
and is becoming a more popular port. The Pacific 
Coast has a number of good harbors, and Tampico was 
formerly a very busy one. Bret Harte, in his ''Lost 
Galleon," gives us a good description of the cargoes 
that came into this port in bygone days. 



94 A LITTLE JOIRXEY TO MEXICO 

PUEBLA 

Piiebla is a place of lOO.OOO pooplo, and disputes 
witli Guadalajara the claim of being the second city 
in size in Mexico. It is called the "City of Churches," 
the "City of Angels" and the "Lowell of Mexico." 

It certainly deserves the first name, for churches 
are everywhere. Xot satisfied with this, the church 
loving people have ])uilt thcii- corn cril)s and granaries 
and even cut their ha\stacks to represent small 
churches, witli domes and spires and crosses. 

Its second name, the "City of Angels," was given it 
because of the tradition connected with the building of 
its famous cathedral. The story goes that when the 
workmen }:>ause(l in their work at the close of the day, 
angels continued to build through the night. 

Whether this be true or not, the work was well done, 
and the church is considered the finest in America. 
It is l:)uilt of granite, but much of the interior decora- 
tion is in mar])le, or ^Mexican onyx. There are onyx 
pillars eml)ellished with gold and altars decorated with 
onyx. Tlier(> are priceless paintings, elaborate carv- 
ings and magnificent tapestry. There are waxen 
images of saints draped in costly silks and adorned with 
diamonds and other precious stones. There are nine- 
teen l)ells in its towers, though what any church 
wants with nineteen bells is more than we can 
understand. 

Piiebla is a l)eauliful I'lacc, witii wide, clean streets 
which are constantly being swej)t. Its houses are built 
of granite and many of them ai'c decoi a1('(l with tiles. 
The city is famous for its glazed tiles, which are u.sed 
cver>' where. Domes of churches, roofs, and outer and 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 



95 



inner walls are covered with them. The effect is odd 
and rather gaudy, but these people are fond of color. 

Puebla is known as ''the Lowell of Mexico" because 
of its many manufacturies. Here are produced pot- 
tery, tiles, glass, blankets, threads, cotton, soap, 
baskets and mats, matches, and onyx articles. 

Near Puebla are two great mountains of onyx which 
would furnish marble to build a hundred cities or more. 
In the shops are many small ornaments made of onyx, 
and we buy a number of these to take home with us. 

Puebla is famous for its pottery, and among the 
most interesting objects to be seen and bought in the 
shops are little statuettes or figures of wax or clay. 
These represent the people of the country employed 
in various ways : we have the basket maker, the flower 
seller, the water carrier and the pulque gatherer. 




THE PORTA LES. 



96 



A L1TTL1-: .101 H.XKV TO .MEXICO 



j)()rl(M-s, iiiuk'lccis, direct jx'cllcrs, beggars, bull fighters, 
tortilla makers and numberless others. 

Most of the figures arc liiiicd or covered willi painted 
cloth, and are perfecll}- modeled. The people vho 




A I'OTXr.IJY VKNDF.R 



make them aie not trained artists, as we might suppose, 
but uneducated Indians. They have scarcely any 
tools to work with. Their colors are the juices of 
fruits, and native dyes, and in place of kilns in which 



A LITTLE JOURxXEY TO MEXICO 97 

to bake the, images, they have only simple ovens — or 
the heat of the sun. 

We are told that much of the dye that is used by 
the Indians is obtained from a small insect called the 
cochineal bug, which feeds on the cactus plant. The 
insects are collected, killed by means of heat, and dried 
in the sun. They are then used in the manufacture of 
red and carmine dyes, which are very valuable. 

Every tourist who visits Puebla makes a journey to 
the famous Pyramid of Cholula. It is only a few miles 
from the city and is reached by a tramway which lands 
us at the foot of the pyramid. It looks much like a 
small hill, and is now covered with grass, trees and 
shrubs, and crowned by a chapel. 

The hill is not a natural one, however. It was built 
by Indians many, many years before the Spaniards 
came to this country. The pyramid is composed of 
layers of brick and clay, and is 175 feet high and 44 
acres square at the base. There is a small square at the 
top. No one knows what the structure was intended for. 
It is believed by some to have been built by a race of 
giants as a means of escape from a flood; by others it 
is thought to have been a place of refuge or a fortress. 
But think of the patient labor required to pile up all 
those bricks by hand! 

Climbing the winding path to the summit we obtain 
a beautiful view. Four mountain peaks loom up above 
us; below us lie the green fields of grain. 

We have a much better view of the volcano '^Old 
Popo" and his companion from this place than from 
Mexico City. Popocatepetl is one of the highest vol- 
canoes on our continent, being over 17,000 feet above 



98 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 



the level of the sea. It is not active now. though it 
constantly sends out funics of sul])hur. Ahiny travelers 
who are fond of adventure ascend the volcano, but as 
the trip is full of hardship we decide to see the crater 
throu«2;h the eyes of our guide. 

He tells us that the crater of Old Popo is now a huge 
sulphur mine. If we wci'c to climb to the summit of 
the volcano we should see many men at work gather- 
ing sulphur down in the crater. 

The mouth of the crater is a half mile in chameter, 
and an enormous amount of sulphur is taken from it 
every year. The workmen descend into the crater by 
means of a rope. The raw material is taken out in large 




roPiK ATF.PETL 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXKJO 99 

blocks, packed in mats, and hoisted to the mouth of 
the crater. It is then sHd down the mountain in a 
kind of trough, or dragged down by the natives, who 
coast down the mountain as far as the snow extends. 
The sulphur is next taken to a refinery and made 
ready for the market. 

This sulphur is said to be the purest found in the 
world. Do you know in what way it is used? Does 
any of it come to the United States? 

Every part of Mexico seems to be marvelously 
rich in mineral deposits, but lack of water and 
transportation facilities makes mining unprofitable 
in many parts of the country. The most impor- 
tant of these minerals is silver, which seems to 
be everjrwhere present, but there are also copper, 
iron, gold, lead, coal, quicksilver, cinnabar, salt, bis- 
muth, alum, asphalt, naphtha, sulphur and petroleum. 

A SOUTHERN TRIP 

Let us now leave Puebla for the south lands, to visit 
the ruins of Mitla, of which we have heard so much. 
The Mexican Southern Railway will take us to Oaxaca 
and the trip to Mitla can be made from thei'e by coach. 

The valley through which our roadway passes is 
called the Valley of Churches, and it is well named. 
No matter which way we look, the tiled domes of 
churches rise above the plain. 

We pass through canons and barrancas without num- 
ber. One looks up, and not down, for views on this 
road. Above us are overhanging cliffs and towering 
peaks that close in about us until it seems there is 
hardly room to pass. 



100 



A LI'lTLK .lOlHNKV TO MEXICO 




TYPICAL SCKNE 



All (lay \vc ride ihrougli hills and valk'V.s, plains and 
tablelands. In Puebla we found the days cool and 
the nights chilly, but as we approach Oaxaca, a decided 
change takes place in the temperature. We lay aside 

our wraps and take the shady side of the car. 



A LITTF.IO .fOURMEY TO MEXICO. 101 

In Southern Mexico the traveler sees dense, tropical 
forests from which valua})le woods are obtained. The 
rosewood, mahogany, and logwood are found here. 
One also sees the vanilla bean, which grows upon a 
cUmbing plant, the pepper berry, the indigo berry and 
tiie sarsaparilla tree. 

The guide tells us that in these forests are wild ani- 
mals, such as the jaguar, the tapir and the monkey, and 
that the woods are full of brilliantly colored birds and 
})oisonous serpents. The sportsman finds some parts 
of the country full of wild game, but there are also 
scorpions and centipedes to make him uncomfortable, 
and in some of the rivers are alligators. 

All the fruits of the tropics are found in the fields of 
the haciendas along the line, and sugar-cane and coffee 
grow in the valleys. Late in the evening we arrive 
at Oaxaca, a pretty little city with clean streets, attrac- 
tive parks and a perfect climate. It is bright with 
flowers, fruit and foliage the year round. Every fruit 
in the world is offered in the market. 

Among these fruits are wild cherries (the juice of 
which is used in making tamales, the national dish) 
guava, sugar-cane, figs, pears, grapes, apricots, 
mulberries, blackberries, raspberries, olives, prick- 
ly pears, oranges, lemons, limes, bananas, cus- 
tard apples, pineapples, mangos, zapates, chico 
and mamey. 

Oaxaca is a very old city, and contains many fine 
public buildings. It has been the home of two of the 
most noted men of Mexico, President Diaz and Gene- 
ral Juarez. A statue of the latter stands in the center 
of the main plaza. 



1()L> 



A LITTLE .lOrUNKV TO MEXICO 



But \vc arc anxious to ivach Milla, and en^ajj^in^ 
a ('aiTiaf!:e we start off very (*arly in the morning, for 
tlic ruins arc tliirly miles a\va\'. The only rough part 
of the road is over the stony pavements of Oaxaea; 
after that it is up hill and down dale, but easy rolling 




iiAi.L 1)1' I in: .MoN<)i.irii>-i;ri.N- 



all the way, with plenty to interest us in every mile 
from the city gates to the big trees of Tule. 

The village of Tule is about an hour's lidc from 
Oaxac'i :iii(| ;i lilllc off the ni;iin rond, bul one is I'cpaid 
for the trouble of visiting it. In the vilhige church- 
yard is one of the largc^st tnu's in tiie woi'ld — a cypress, 
so large thai if twent}' people with outsti'ctchcd arms 



A LITTLIO JOniNEY TO MEXICO 103 

stood around the trunk they could barely complete the 
circuit. 

As we near Mitla, we notice that the houses are of 
reeds, with thatched roofs, shaded by graceful pepper 
trees, and fenced in with cactus. We come nearer and 
nearer to the mountains, and a turn in the road brings 
us in sight of the towers and white walls of the famous 
old city of Mitla. The ruins are in a desolate place 
not far from the brown hills, but close to them is a 
charming hacienda owned by a Mexican who is a sort 
of feudal lord over the neighboring peons. 

It is late in the evening when we arrive at this 
hacienda. We defer our visit to the ruins until the next 
morning. In the meantime our guide tells us all that 
he knows of them, which is very little. According to 
his story these famous ruins are the remains of a great 
city built by a race who disappeared from Mexico long, 
long before Cortez came. These people erected build- 
ings all over the valley of Oaxaca, and portions of their 
walls, columns thrown down, and monoliths, are scat- 
tered over many parts of Mexico. 

No one knows for what these structures were intended. 
They may have been palaces, or temples, or tombs, or 
fortresses, or storehouses, or dwellings, or places of 
refuge, but there is nothing to disclose their purpose. 
When the Spaniards came they found the ruined cities 
and temples just as one sees them today, but the 
Indians could tell nothing about them. They were the 
work of a race that existed before the Indians came, 
and not even a tradition remained in regard to them. 

The ruins cover many acres, but only a few of the 
walls of the buildings though^- to be temples remain in 



104 A IJTTLK .f()rH\i:V TO MEXICO 

a perfect state oi ])i'e.seivati()ii. Tliere are a number 
of the courts of the temples, hul llie only one with 
perfect walls is ihe north coui-t. 

The walls are huih of hut»;e stones, the placing of 
which must have heen done Ijy derricks and machinery. 
Tlie heaviest wheels nuist have ))een recjuired to trans- 
poi't ihe hiiihUnti; materials. Tliis is i)i-oof tliat the 
builders belonj2;ed to a civilized race. The stones are 
l)eautifully carved and decorated in intricate mosaics. 
This would indicate that the people used copper tools. 
Some of the stones in the wall are from fifteen to eigh- 
teen feet long, from four to six feet in widlli and three 
to five feet in thickness. 

We are especially interested in the Hall of the Mono- 
liths, a large room with six massive pillars of stone 
that would support a roof of thousands of tons. 

The Corridor of Mosaics is a beautiful room with its 
walls of carved mosaics fitted together perfectly-. The 
courts open to the center. There are no windows or 
doors except the one opening into the inner square or 
plaza. 

Travelers come from all parts of the world to visit 
these and other interesting ruins south of Mexico and 
Puebla. Many have tried to find some clue that would 
reveal their history, but no one has ever succeeded. 

OUR DEPARTURE 

Our calendar warns us that the limit of our stay is 
reached, and ilicre are yet many places unvisited which 
we had hoj)ed to see. We are very sorry not to have 
had at least a glimpse of (Uiadalajara, Jalapa. and 
Tampico, but must wait until another time. 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 105 

Our last day in Mexico City is spent in the shops, 
buying presents for friends at home, and souvenirs of 
our trip with which to decorate the "Mexican corner" 
that we are planning to arrange. 

This bright serape with the Mexican eagle in the 
center is to be used as a traveling rug on the home- 
ward journey and will then be utilized as a couch cover 
in the "Mexican corner" at home. This little square 
of linen drawnwork from Aguas Calientes will be just 
the thing for the afternoon tea table. The pieces of 
pottery and crockery and the little statuettes from 
Puebla will decorate the mantelpiece or the shelf over 
the couch, the onyx paper weight and vase and little 
Indian idol are for the writing desk, and the feather 
picture cards, photographs, and souvenir postal cards 
may be arranged in our Mexican album. 

We must also have some dulces and gaily painted 
rag dolls for our very little friends, as well as coins and 
stamps for our school collection. For those at home 
we have cuff -buttons and pins, filigree jewelry from 
Zacatecas, opal rings from Queretaro, leather.,belts and 
purses and canes. 

And now our trunks are packed and we are ready to 
say good-by. Not an unpleasant incident has occurred 
to mar our trip, and it is with regret and the kindliest 
feelings for Mexico and Mexicans that we take leave 
of this beautiful land. 

The improvements which are being made on every 
hand indicate that our next visit to Mexico will find a 
great change in the condition of the country and the 
people. Modern waterworks are now replacing the 
old acjueducts; modern sewerage replacing the street 



106 



A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO 



sinks; iiiodeni lightintj^ and modem methods of trans- 
portation are making their way to the most remote 
districts, and factories are being estabhshed. 

The world is just awakening to the undeveloped re- 
sources of the country. Within a few years improved 
methods of farming and mining will j)r()l)ably l)e em- 
ployed, and Mexico will then be as attractive to the 
settler as it now is to the tourist. 



1 


U |-Jb^^^M^^|^HMl^|HHH|<l ^^^^^H Vi ' ' - I^K^^^^^r^ '''''''' 



STREET CAK— SAN LLl.S i'OTOSI 



PRONOUNCING VOCABULARY 



Adobe a-do'be 

Aguas Calientes Ah' gwass Kab-li-en'tess 

Cochineal kotcb'e-nef'l 

Centavo cen-tiih'vo 

Celaya Sa-lah-yah 

Chapultepec Chah-piil'te-peck 

Chihuahua Che-wah'wah 

Cholula Cho-Ioo'lah 

Colima Ko-lee'mah 

Cueruavaca Kwer-nah-vah'cah 

Uulces diil'sess 

Durango Doo-ran'go 

Guadalajara Gwahd-thala-hah'rah 

Guanajuato Gwab-nah-hoo-ah'to 

Hacienda ah-si-en'dah 

Irapuato Eer-ah-poo-ah'to 

Iturbide „ Ee-toor-bee'de 

Lasso las'so 

Maguay . . mah-gwa'ee 

Mitla Meet'lah 

Peon pe'on 

Oaxaca Ob-ah-hah'kah 

Portales por-tah'less 

Pulque , piil'ke 

Pueblo Pweb'lo 

Puebla Pweb'lah 

Piiiate pin-yah'te 

Posada po-sah'duh 

Popocatepetl Po-po'kah-te-petl 

Queretaro ... Kay-ray'tah-ro 

Serape '. se-rah'pp 

Sombrero som-bray'ro 

Tortillas tor-teel'yliss 

Tampico Tam-pt-'ko 

Viga Vee'gah 

Vera Cruz V-i'rah Crooz 

Zacatecas Zak-ah-tay'cass 

107 



TEACHER'S suppli:ml:nt. 



A Little Journey to 
Mexico. 

The class or travel club has now completed the study of 
Mexico, and is ready for a review. In ord(>r to make this 
interestiufT^ and impress the lessons learned, let the work be 
summed up in the form of an entertainment called 

AN AFTERNOON OR EVENING IN MEXICO. 

For this afternoon in Mexico invitations may be M'ritten l)y 
the pupils, or mimeographed or liectographed and carried to 
friends and parents. 

If given as an evening entertainment and illustrated by 
stereopticon views, handbills may be printed and circulated at 
least a week beforehand. The following form may be used : 

SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENT. 

A Trip to Mexico for Ten Cents. 

You are invited by the pupils of the school (or 

the members of the Travel Class or Club) to spend an evening 
(or afternoon) in Mexico. 

The party starts promptly at 1:30 P. M. (or 8 P- M.), March 

the . Those desiring to take this trip should secure tickets 

before the day of departure, as the party is limited. Guides are 
furnished free. 

The proceeds of this entertainment are to be used in the 
purchase of a library and of pictures and stereopticon views for 
the school. 

suggestions. 

The exercises should be conducted and the talks given by 
the pupils themselves. Some topic should be selected by each 
pupil, or assigned to him, and with this topic he should become 
thoroughly familiar, 

109 



110 A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO. 

Geographies, books of travel, magazine articles and news- 
papers should be consulted until each pupil has his subject well 
in hand. He^ should also, wlu're possible, secure photographs, 
pic-tures or objects with which to illustrate his talk. At its 
close these should be placed upon a table, or the.chalk tray, that 
visitors may examine thorn more closely. 

If the entertainment is givt-n in the evening, the teacher may 
1)6 able to use stereopticon views. 

These will prove a very great attraction to both pupils and 
parents, and should be secured if jjossible. The lantern with 
oil lamp may be easily operated by the teacher while the pupils 
give the descriptions of the pictures or give talks about the 
country. 

The lanterns and slides may be rented for the evening or 
afternoon at reasonable rates, and the cost covered by an admis- 
sion fee of from ten to twenty-five cents. 

A leader or guide may be appointed to make the introductory 
remarks, and to announce the numbers of the programme. 

Other pupils speak of the journey to Mexico, the people, 
industries, plant and animal life, scenery and special features of 
the country. 

In describing the homes, miniature adobe huts which have 
been constructed on the sand table, may be shown. In speaking 
of the costumes or clothing of the people, show the zerape, 
rebaso. a sombrero hat and the sandal. 

In speaking of the classes of people, show dolls dressed to 
represent the peon, the middle class, the cow boy, the ranch- 
man, and the higher class people, 

In the stores colored clay or wax figures may be found, whicli 
are faithful miniature reproductions>f the people and groups of 
people engaged in various occupations in Mexico. 

These would make very interesting additions to the curio 
table and give a clear idea of the picture.stjue sireet vendors, the 
water carrier, the man gathering puh^ue from the maguay plant 
and the women making t<jrtillas. and others. 

The fallowing poems, suitable for recitations, may be found 
in ''Poems of Places," Vol, XXV (compiled by Longfellow): 



HOMES, PRODUCTS, COSTUMES. Ill 

"El Palo Santo," page 122; "Monterey;' page 143; "Popocat- 
apetl," page 150. 

A poem which will make an excellent number for the pro- 
gramme if read is, "The Lost Galleon," by Bret Harte. 

A couple of tableaux may easily be arranged, one represent- 
ing the peon in the cooler parts of Mexico, with blanket wrapped 
about him, and high felt hat, and others dressed in cotton, as 
the peons are dressed in warmer weather or climates. 

A child may be posed with a large Mexican jar or water 
bottle on her head or shoulder, as represented in the picture. 

CONUNDRUMS. 

A pupil may give to the school these two Mexican conun- 
drums: 

1. "Red inside and like bran outside?" Answer: "The 
maney" (one of the favorite fruits of Mexico). 

2. "Throw it up green it comes down red?" Answer, "The 
watermelon." 

ROOM DECORATION. 

The walls of the school room, or of a small recitation room 
leading out of the main room, may be covered with pale gray 
cheesecloth, to imitate the white- washed adobe walls of a 
Mexican house. 

Rugs of Indian blankets or gray matting may cover the plat- 
form and the aisles, and rugs may also be thrown over the 
benches and the seats arranged for visitors. 

Palms, potted orange or lemon trees, a cactus or century 
plant or foliage plants may be banked around the walls to sim- 
ulate the patio, or enclosed court or garden of the Mexican 
home. 

Borrow a number of bird cages with their feathered occu- 
pants and hang about the room. 

Have the desk and one or more tables covered with cloths of 
Mexican drawn work and on the organ, desk and window sills 
vases or little Mexican baskets filled with flowers, and set on 
doilies of drawn work. 

Here and there large red or brown water jars may be placed, 
and in them great bouquets of yellow mustard, poppy blossoms, 



II- A Lllli-I. .KdKXEY Tt) MEXICO. 

or Miiy titlu'i' Howrr ltiowu in M«'xic() that can l)e obtained in 
(luantitif.s. 

The phici' itf lioiiur in tin- (■ciittr ut' the blackboard, just over 
the platform, may be gfiven to tin- Mexican flaj? and a picture 
of President Dia/.. 

Sketi'lifS of Mexican homes and people may l>e placed upon 
the board with colored crayons, also a snow-covered volcano to 
represent old "'Popo."" and pictures of the ])alm. banana and 
coffee tree. 

A LOAN COLLEC'TION AND A MAKKLT PLACE. 

A number of articles loaned for the Jifternoon might be 
arranged on a talde and placarded the "Crovernment Pawn 
Shop." A description of this unique and interesting establish- 
ment might be given as a part of the programme, and guests 
invited to examine the articles foi- sale at the close of the 
exercises. 

Among the articles placed in this collection or in b(joths for 
sale arrange souvenir postal cards, Mexican Christmas, Easter 
and birthday cards bearing j)ictures, words or designs worked 
out in colored feathers, pliotographs, carved leather articles- 
such as belts, bags, pocketbooks, music rolls, gold and silver 
filigree work, opals, or articles of jewelry containing these jewels, 
paper weights or other articles made of onyx, silver coins and 
jewelry, Mexican hats, blankets, baskets, wax and clay tigures. 
pieces of drawn work, pottery, an Indian god or idol, ham- 
mocks. 

A book which pupils will be sure to enjoy if added to the 
loan collection of Mexican articles will be a "Burro Book." It 
contains pictures of this faithful, patient little animal, engaged 
in the many and varied tasks assigned to it in Mexico. 

Upon the product table arrange an exhibit of such articles 
as jalop. cochineal, cpiick silver, vanilla, sarsaparilla. mahogany, 
gold, silver, copper, sulphur, tortoise-shell, hemp, Spanish pep- 
per, coffee, rice, rubber, orchil, horse hair, bananas, oranges, 
linjes, sugar corn, wheat, beans, cotton, barley, tobacco, cabinet 
woods, sulphur, caoutchoue, matches. 

A Mexican market place, or a "corner"' in a market may 



HOMES, PRODUCTS, COSTUMES. 113 

easily be arranged by studying the pictures of market places in 
various books on Mexico. 

A piece of matting may be fastened to the top of a broom 
handle to serve as a shelter for the market woman. She may 
pile up oranges, bananas or other fruits about her. 

Others may be seated near with vegetables, candies, or little 
cakes to sell. 

A basket vendor, almost covered with baskets of all sizes, 
may wander about and offer his wares for sale. 

A flower girl may^carry a basket or tray about and sell violets. 
Tiny bunches of artificial violets would do for this purpose. 

COSTUMES. 

Two or more dark-eyed boys naay be dressed in Spanish- 
Mexican costumes and open the door for visitors and conduct 
them to seats. Others may recite, play the guitar, sing, serve 
refreshments, or pose in tableaux. 

They may wear jackets of black or dark [cloth trimmed with 
gold or silver braid and buttons of red or yellow; pants with 
the same kind of trimming up each side, dark stockings and low 
shoes. A straw or felt sombrero (hat) completes the costume. 

The boys who act as vendors or merchants in the Mexican 
market place may wear white suits and large straw hats, but no 
shoes or stockings. 

The market girls may wear very simply made calico gowns, with 
rather low necks and sleeves reaching only a little below the 
elbow. Around the shoulders wrap a blue calico or black wool 
shawl. The hair is worn hanging straight down around the 
face and shoulders. 

The Mexican girls of the higher class may wear any bright 
costume. The hair may be coiled high on the head and held in 
place by a comb, or, if the girls are small, may be crimped and 
allowed to flow freely over the shoulders. Two or three of these 
girls may have black lace scarfs or mantillas draped over the 
head and about the lower part of the face. 

The pupils who take the part of Mexicans should have black 
eyes and hair. The faces, hands and feet should be colored 
with brown chalk, sold especially for this purpose. 



114 A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO. 

REFRESHMENTS. 

These may be served at tlio close of the entertainment, but 
will need to be quite simple, because the national dishes of 
Mexico will be too difficult to prepare. 

Coffee and chocolate may be served with rolls^or little cookies. 
These last may be placed in little baskets and set upon the table 
with dulces, or Mexican candies and fruits. 

The cofiFee, chocolate or pineapple water may be placed upon 
the tal)le in Mexican ju<,'s or water bottles and served in native 
earthen cups, mugs, or bowls. 

The pineapple water is one of the favorite drinks of the 
people, and will be found fit for a king. 

To make it, beat, roll or grind the pineapple very fine, run it 
through a sieve and add water to make it sufficiently thin to 
drink. Add sugar and ice and allow it to stand before serving. 

Oranges, bananas, pineapple and any other fruits grown in 
Mexico may also be served- 

CLASS WORK. 

In the back of the little journey, on the third and fourth pages 
of the cover and the last two pages of the book will be found 
descriptions of routes and maps to consult in jDlanning our jour- 
ney to Mexico. 

Other routes should be discussed before this is decided upon. 
Tlu' Mt'xican Central and Southern Pacific Railway issue book- 
lets which contain many excellent jjictures of Mexican people 
and scenes. These may ho removed and mounted upon card 
board for class purposes. 

A large map given in the l)ooklet entitled: " Facts and figures 
about Mexico" will be useful to the guide who conducts us 
through Mexico, if removed from the book and fastent'd to the 
board. 

This b(M)k, issued by the Mexican Central Railway, calls at- 
tention to the triangular shape of North America, and to its 
narT(jwest i)art (at the Isthmus of Panama), which is but fifty 
miles. 

What (l(j the pupils know of the Panama Canal under con- 



CLASS WORK. 115 

struction? Spc^ak of the ti^rcat value; of sucli a canal to North 
America. 

Have pupils tell what they can of the proposed Nicaragua 
Ship Canal. What is the Eastern terminus? (Greytown.) Its 
Western terminus? (Brito.) Trace its course through the San 
Juan Kiver, across Lake Nicaragua. What oceans will this join ? 
What countries will be most benefited by this canal ? (America 
and the West.) 

When this canal is finished what course will vessels take, 
leaving New York for San Francisco, Japan, China, the Philip- 
pine Islands and Australia ? How many days' time will be saved 
on such trips? Eight thousand miles would be saved a steamer 
between New York and San Francisco. 

In what ways are Mexico and Central America alike? In what 
way different? To what is the great difference in climate in 
different parts of this country due? 

Why are so many different varieties of plant life to be found 
in Mexico? 

Has the mineral wealth of the country been of great benefit 
to the Mexicans? 

What class of people does the mineral wealth often attract to 
a country? 

Are people who are anxious to make money quickly, without 
work, the most desirable citizens ? 

Is Mexico a manufacturing country? Why not? (Lack of 
coal and other fuel.) 

What has hindered the prosperity of the country for many 
years ? (Political disturbances and petty civil wars. ) President 
Diaz is doing much to bring about a better condition of things. 
The building of railways will make it possible to keep down 
these insurrections and afford transportation which is so neces- 
sary to the prosperity of a people. 

The country has also suffered from earthquakes and volcanic 
eruptions. 

Study the kind and locality of the mining industries, the 
railroads of Mexico and Central America. 
Study the war with Mexico and the cause. 



11(1 



A LITTLE .lOrHXKY TO SIKXICO. 



Pupils (jf rity schools will In- abli- to take excursions to 
museums and see the tools, pottery and clothing worn by the 
Aztecs. A knowledge of their government and social life may 
be gained from reference books. 

Compare these with social life and government of other 
Indian tribes. 



MEXICO CITY. 



From early morning till the midnoon hour 

We travelled in the mountains, then a plain 

Opened below, and rose upon the sight 

Like boundless ocean from a hill top seen. 

A beautiful and populous plain it was; 

Fair woods were there, and fertilizing streams, 

And pastures sjsreading wide, and villages 

In fruitful groves embowered, and stately towns, 

And many a single dwelling specking it, 

As tho' for many a year the land had been 

The land of peace. Below us where the base 

Of the great mountain to the level sloped, 

A broad, blue lake extended far and wide, 

Its waters dark beneath the light of noon. 

There Aztlan stood upon the farther shore; 

Amid the shade of trees its dwellings rose, 

Their level roofs with turrets set around. 

And battlements all burnished white, which shone 

Like silver in the sunshine. I beheld 

The imperial city, her far-circling walls, 

Her garden groves and stately palaces, 

Her temples mountain size, her thousand roofs; 

And when I saw her might and majesty, 

My mind misgave me then. 

— Robert Southey. 



LA GOLONDRINA. 



(The Mexican "Home, Sweet Home.") 



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LA GOLONDRINA Concluded. 




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bringing re -lief and rest; 



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AN INTERP]STING PROGRAMME. 119 

AN AFTERNOON IN MEXICO. 

PROGRAMME. 

1. Introductory remarks by the guide. 

2. Recitation, 

3. A scrap of history. 

4. National hymn of Mexico (in World's Fair Collection 

of Songs or in Mrs. Gooch's book "Face to Face 
with the Mexicans." 

5. How to go to Mexico. 

6. When to go. 

7. Where to go. 

8. In Aztec Land or Northern Mexico. 

9. Tableau: "A group of Mexican Peons." 

10. Song: "La Paloma," a favorite song of the common 

people, in "Face to Face with Mexicans." 

11. City of Zacatecas. 

12. Aguas Calientes. (Pupil may show drawn work at close 

of remarks.) 

13. Guanajuato. 

14. The maguay plant. (Pupil may show some article made 

of it.) 

15. Mexico City. 

16. Jaunts about the city. 

17. Homes and Home Life. 

18. Song: " Mexican Home, Sweet Home," given on another 

page of the Little Journey to Mexico 

19. Child life. 

20. Tableau: "Child with water jar." 

21. Education. 

22. Amusements. 

23. Travel in Mexico. 

24. Southern Mexico. 

25. Western Mexico. 

26. Reading: " The Last Galleon," by Bret Harte. 

27. Eastern Mexico. 

28. Homeward Bound. 

29. Song: American "Home, Sweet Home." 



120 A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO. 

THE TRAVEL CLA5S. 

Nothing in tlu^ stiuly of gcoirraphy is more interesting or 
helpful to pupils than the taking of imaginary journeys. It 
makes geography a lire subject. 

Suggest that your pupils organize a Travel Club, and that 
some of the trips be personally conducted. 

Maps and a globe should be in constant use. The home 
should bo the starting point. "Railroad circulars, maps and time 
cards for free distribution will be found valuable. Pui^ils should 
be taught how to uae these maps and time cards. 

Give pupils a choice as to routes or roads over which they 
are to travel. Each pupil, however, should be able to give a 
reason for his preference for any particular road, and must know 
the number of miles and the time required for the journey. 
The road or route voted upon by the majority may then be 
decided upon, and preparations made for the trip. 

Find out the best time to go to each particular country, and 
the reason. What clothes it will be best to wear and to take 
with one. About how much money it will be necessary to spend 
on such a trip, and when and where this money should be 
changed into the coin or currency used in the country we expect 
to visit. 

A Guide may be appointed to obtain time-tables, maps, rail- 
road guides, the little l)ooks of travel, or other descriptions of 
routes and of the parts of the country that are to be visited. 
(Further suggestions in ri'gard to these "helps" will be found 
elsewhere in this book.) 

The principal features of the country passed through may be 
described, if time permits; also the more important cities. Note 
the populatic^n, occupations, productions, together with anything 
of special interest or historical importance associated with the 
city or locality. 

The O'uidc takes charge of the class in the same way that a 
tourist guide would do. He escorts us from the home dejjot to 
the city, state, or country, pointing out the route on a map sus- 
pended before the class. 

Arriving at the city (jr country, in- takes us to the various 



THE TRAVEL CLASS. 121 

points of interest, telling as much al)out each as he is able, and 
answering questions pupils may wish to ask. If the guide can 
not answer all questions, the teacher or some other member of 
the party may. 

When the guide has finished with a topic or section, other 
members of the party may give items of interest concerning it. 

A different pupil may act as guide to each city or part of the 
country visited, and each pupil should come to the class with a 
list of questions about the places. 

Every pupil in the class may take some part, either as guide, 
or as the class artist, musician, librarian, historian, geographer, 
geologist, botanist, zoologist, or man of letters. 

A Histo'ian may tell us of the history of the country, and 
answer all questions of historical interest. 

A Geograplier may tell of the location on the globe, of the 
natural land formations of mountains, canons, prairies, rivers, 
etc., and of the climate resulting from these. He should illus- 
trate his remarks. 

A Geologist may assist, and show specimens of minerals and 
fossils, or pictures of these. 

A Botanist may tell us of native plants, useful or ornamental, 
and show pictures of these if possible. A Zoologist tells of the 
native animals, their habits and uses. 

The geographer, geologist, botanist, and zoologist direct the 
work at the sand table, and assist in reproducing the country in 
miniature. 

The Merchants and Tradesmen tell us of the products for 
which their country is noted, and show samples of as many as 
it is possible to secure. They also tell what they import, and 
why. 

A Librarian or Correspondent may visit the library for in- 
formation sought by the club. He must be able to give a list of 
books of travel, and be ready to read or quote extracts referring 
to the places visited on the tour. 

He or his assistant may also clip all articles of interest from 
papers, magazines, and other sources, and arrange these, as well 



122 A LITTLE JOURNEY TO MEXICO. 

as the articles secured by other pupils, in a scrapbook, devoted 
to each country. 

The Arhst and his assistant may tell us about the famous 
artists and their works, if any. He may illustrate his remarks 
with pictures, if he can obtain them or make them. 

The Clitb Artist map also place upon the board in coloreil 
crayons the flag, the coat of arms, and the national flower of the 
country. 

A I'ltofoj/rajilicr may bo appointed to provide or to care for 
the photographs and pictures used in the class talks. The photo- 
graphs may often be V)orro\ved from tourists or others. Pictures 
may be obtained from magazines, railroad j)amphlets, the illus- 
trated papers, or from the Perry Pictures, and mounted on card- 
board or arranged by the artist in a scrapbook with the name of 
the country on the cover. 

If the members of the travel or geography class are not pro- 
vided with the "Little Journeys," the teacher should have at 
least two copies. The pictures from one of these books should 
be removed and mounted for class use. They may be mounted 
on a screen, or on cardboard, and placed about the room or 
grouped in a corner. They should be allowed to remain there 
during the month, that all the pupils may have an opportunity 
to examine them. 

Another jjupil may collect curiosities. Many families in each 
neighborhood will be able to contribute some curio. Pupils in 
other rooms in the building will be interested in collecting and 
loaning material for this little museum and picture gallery. 



REFERENCE BOOKS. 



Mexico Mary E. Blake 

Mexico M. F. Sullivan 

Travels in Mexico Obcr 

Mexico Today Brocklehurst 

Summerland Sketches Oswal 

Mexico Wilson 

Wealth of Mexico Anderson 

Tour in Mexico , Bandelier 

A Trip to Mexico. Beecher 

Mexico Conklin<f 

Cortez, Montezuma and Mexico Bess Mitchell 

Face to Face with the Mexicans Goocb 

A Peep at Mexico Geigei 

Our Next Door Neighbor Haven 

South by West Kingsley 

Story of Mexico Susan Hale 

Conquest of Mexico Prescott 

Mexico Ballou 

Mexico Today Griffin 

Modern Hand Books Janvier, Conkling and Hamilton 

Mexico The Bureau of American Republics, Washing- 
ton, D. C 50 cents 

A Flight to Mexico Auberton 

Guide Book by Janvier 

Guide Book by Conkling 

Our Next Door Neighbor Bishop Haven 

Conquest of Mexico Prescott 

Campbeirs Guide to Mexico. I 1 50 

Guide to Mexico, Apjoleton 1 50 

Baedeker, " The United States," (with an Excursion in- 
to Mexico,) Scribner 3 60 

Resources and development of Mexico, by Bancroft 4 50 

Geographical and Statistical Notes on Mexico, by Ro- 
mero, Putnam 2 00 

Mexico of to-day. Griffin. (Harper) 1 50 

The Awakening of a Nation, Lumis. (Harper) 2 50 

133 



— 7^— ny 




LITTLE JOURNEYS TO EVERY LAND. 



By IVlA-RIAN IvI. Georoe. 

CLOTH BOUND VOLUMES, ... 50 Cents. 

Each cloth bound volume contains from 160 to 184 pages, 
7>^ x5>( inches, colored flags, colored maps, and from 
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1. CUBA and PUE,RTO RICO. 

2. HAWAII and THE. PHILIPPINES. 

3. CHINA and JAPAN. 

4. MEXICO and CE-NTRAL AME,RICA. 

5. ALASKA and CANADA. 

6. ENGLAND and WALES. 

7. SCOTLAND and IRELAND. 

8. HOLLAND. BELGIUM and DENMARK. 

9. FRANCE and SWITZERLAND. 

10. ITALY. SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. 

11. GERMANY. 



Other countries of Europe are in course of preparation, 
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Do not fail to include these BooKs in your order for Library 
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PUBLISHERS 266 WABASH AVE. CHICAGO 



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LItTI/I/ JOURNEY 

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